The Wizard's Price
by Be Rose
Summary: When the peaceful country of Peratha was invaded by its larger neighbour, King Ludovick asked the wizard who lived in the mountains above his castle for help. Neither man thought the impact of their contract would still be felt generations later. A fairy tale with elements of Beauty and the Beast.
1. Chapter 1

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 1**

ONCE UPON A TIME a great and wise Wizard came to live in the mountains of Peratha, south of the royal palace and the capital. He asked and obtained permission from King Aldric who ruled the country at the time.

The wizard was very much on the wrong side of middle-aged. He had been travelling all over the world since his youth and now he wanted to settle down in the mountains of the small kingdom to spend the latter end of his life in peace.. First thing he did was build a home, a tower made of ivory. Turning the tip of an elephant's tusk into a Wizard's home would be his greatest work, he thought. He put the bit of ivory in the place where he wanted his tower. He smiled as he remembered the big matriarch that had given him the broken tip for saving her herd, surprised that he hadn't wanted more. Perhaps it was because he was thinking about her that the tower became larger than expected, pushing deep into the steep rocky incline that backed it.

At that exact place inside the tower the Wizard found a well with clear water, an unexpected bonus. He soon learned how much of a bonus this was. Barely a month after he'd started living in his tower and drinking the water, he looked and felt like a man in his prime. That's when he realised the value of his well. This was a well with the Water of Eternal Youth. Using it meant he could remain young and, though it did not make him immortal, he could live for countless centuries.

His apparent youth caused a problem. The people of Peratha reasoned that a young man claiming to be a wizard must be a charlatan. To impress them he put on a glamour that made him appear a wise old man when people came to see him. He lived peacefully in his tower, year after year after year but because he seemed immortal people started to fear him and preferred not to come anywhere near him. Some people claimed that he had sold his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal life.

The kings of Peratha didn't believe such idle gossip. They knew that in times of trouble they would always be able to ask for his help; his great expertise could be counted on. The Wizard always helped the people and would always help the kingdom. All he ever asked in recompense was a token gift.

For years the wizard lived a quiet life. Ludovick I followed King Aldric and neither ever needed to ask for help. Ludovick II followed Ludovick I. He didn't need the Wizard until one day the small kingdom was attacked by its larger neighbour, Eburon. The peace-loving country was not prepared for the onslaught and soon threatened to be overwhelmed by the enemy. In despair King Ludovick turned to the Wizard for help.

"Master Wizard, we are in great need," said the King. "Without you our land is doomed, as is all we have done to make it a good place for our people. Please, help us. I'll give you anything you want, as long as you help us defeat the enemy."

"I'll help you in exchange for a gift, as is custom," said the Wizard.

"Anything you want, Master Wizard. As long as we have your help."

"I'll have the first creature that is born in your palace after the war."

"If that is your wish, you will have it Master Wizard," said the King.

And so the contract was made. The Wizard came down from his ivory tower in the mountain and made it clear to the enemy that is was in his best interest to quit while he was ahead (that is alive) and to sign a peace treaty. This done, the Wizard went back to his tower.

When the fighting had stopped, the peace treaty had been signed and the enemy had left the country, the King returned home victorious at the head of his army to find that his wife had just given birth to a son. She had kept her condition a secret so her husband wouldn't worry about her while trying to win a war. The King was elated with this news. Not only was this his first born child, but because of Queen Kalanta's age he had thought it highly unlikely they would ever have a child. Of course, he realised, his wife was a special woman so perhaps it wasn't unusual. Then he remembered his promise to the Wizard. He checked every creature in the palace – cats, dogs, birds, horses … even the mice behind the skirting board – but finally he had to accept that his son was the price for peace in his country. This was a terrible blow to King Ludovick. He didn't say anything to his wife and pretended to share in the joy about the end of the war and the birth of the Crown Prince. Then one moonless cloudy night he wrapped the baby warmly and took it to the Wizard.

He put the child in the Wizard's arms and said bitterly, "Here is the price you so cleverly won."

The Wizard looked at the child and said, "A baby? What use have I for a baby? Was there no foal from your best mare? Didn't your faithful bitch have puppies?"

"Didn't you ask for the first creature born after the war? Don't you think I looked high and low to find anything that was born before my son? And if you wanted a horse or a dog why didn't you just ask for it? I would have given you one of each." Then hopeful, "Does this mean I can keep my son?"

The Wizard sighed, "I'm afraid not. The contract is made and has to be paid. I cannot change it now. It will teach me to be more plain-speaking. However, I cannot look after a child so young, so take it back with you and let your wife enjoy her child. See him grow up to be a decent young man and send him to me then. Perhaps on his sixteenth birthday so he can become my apprentice. Just remember that your son must be here on his twenty-fifth birthday at the latest or a curse will be upon him. Payment cannot be delayed beyond twenty-five years. I'm afraid it's an obligatory condition of any Wizard Contract. Even I can't break it."

King Ludovick went back home, a much happier man, and put his child back in his cradle. For now his wife could rejoice in the unexpected pleasure of motherhood He wouldn't tell anyone about the transaction with the Wizard; there was time enough for that. Perhaps even time for a second child.

The King and Queen organised a great feast with fireworks, holidays and street parties for the boy's christening. His godmother was allowed to choose a name and named him Artus.

The young Prince was a happy child with a friendly nature and a quick mind. Looking after her son had made the Queen look younger. Meanwhile the King stuck his head in the sand and ignored the future. When he saw his wife and son playing, running and laughing, he always thought, "Later, I'll tell them later. Artus is still young and my wife doesn't need to know yet. There will be time enough for this sorrow when he is older."

Death rarely heeds the plans that mortals make. One day, during a hunt, the King's horse was startled by a wild boar, threw his rider and bolted. The hog looked round, saw its target and charged. Dazed by the fall King Ludovick could not defend himself. They found him late in the day, too late to help him, too late for him to tell them of the price the Wizard had asked. He was mourned by his family because he had been a good husband and father; he was mourned by his people because he had been a good King.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you to Jimli and Arista Everett June for following and especially for the reviews; and thanks to UrgingBee for following and favouriting this story.  
**

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**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 2**

When King Ludovick died Artus was still only a boy, so Queen Kalanta reigned in his stead. As young as he was, Artus had to learn what would be expected of him when he became King. His first official duty was a state visit with the Queen to their neighbours, King Gustav and Queen Margaretta of Eburon.

King Gustav was the nephew of the old King of Eburon who'd never married. The King had been very old already before he had acknowledged Prince Gustav as his heir. Then he had insisted that as Gustav was the Crown Prince, he should live in the Royal Palace with his family. At least Prince Gustav had obtained leave for his pregnant wife and two youngest children to stay in their home in the countryside but he'd had to bring his three older children to the palace that was run like a military camp. Soon he'd learned what the military preparations were all about. The old King had ordered the invasion of Peratha Prince Gustav had been horrified. Nevertheless he had been made to join and lead Eburon's army in the unprovoked attack on the peaceful neighbours.

After the war the old King had started to show signs of paranoia as well; one day accusing his nephew of plotting to overthrow him and the next day telling him there was no one else he could trust. For no reason the King had burst out in uncontrollable rages, ranting and raving like a maniac. During one of these attacks he had suddenly slumped down in his chair, dead.

Thus, barely a year after the signing of the peace treaty the old King of Eburon had died and his nephew had become the new King. Immediately after his coronation King Gustav had sent an official dispatch to King Ludovick of Peratha ratifying the peace treaty and voicing his hopes for friendship between the countries. King Ludovick had invited King Gustav for an official visit during which the two kings found they wanted the same things for their countries. Ever since that day, the monarchs had visited each other's country once a year, a tradition Queen Kalanta was eager to honour.

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The first official visit wasn't easy for Artus. He had to sit through long talks on politics and economy between his mother and King Gustav; he had to attend a lot of official ceremonies; he had to accompany his mother on visits to war monuments, exhibitions and museums; and to top it all the evenings were tedious and interminable. During a particularly dreary dinner party, a boy quietly came to Artus and said, "Come, let's get out of here. This thing is boring the pants of me."

Silently Artus followed the boy; glad he could finally stretch his legs. Without a word the boys went up stairways and round corners until they stopped in front of a door.

"This is Anna's room. She was my nanny when I was little and she always has some sweets for me. Come, I'll introduce you."

They entered the room, but when the strange boy wanted to introduce Artus, all he said was, "Nanny Anny, this is…this is..."

Nanny scolded the boy, "Prince Carl, are you telling me you have not introduced yourself to your guest? Has all my work been in vain? You run around like a young barbarian with manners to match. I'm ashamed you did not learn any better. A Prince should know how to behave like a gentleman."

"Oh, pooh," said Prince Carl. "As if anybody cares about MY manners. I'm just one Prince too many. I know my father would rather have had a Princess, to marry off the some King."

Then he turned to Artus, clicked his heels, bowed and said, "I'm Prince Carl, youngest son of King Gustav and Queen Margaretta. This is Mistress Anna, my former nanny and only friend."

Artus bowed as well and introduced himself to Prince Carl and Anna.

While the visit of Queen Kalanta and Prince Artus to Eburon lasted the two boys who were of a similar age spent every spare minute together. For the first time in their lives, they had a friend. It was a sad parting for both when the Perathans returned to their country.

Artus and Carl kept in touch by letter for a while. Suddenly Carl stopped writing and in the end Artus too gave up. Then King Gustav and Queen Margaretta made their annual visit to Queen Kalanta. Amongst the nobles who had come with them was a very gloomy looking Prince Carl. King Gustav apologized for bringing his youngest son.

"We don't know what is wrong with him. He just sits about, looking miserable or angry; he doesn't speak to anybody and when asked 'what is wrong' he just shrugs his shoulders, goes to his room and locks the door. That's been going on for months now. We're at our wits' end. Then we thought the excitement of a trip and the change of scenery might be good for him but he's been like this for the whole journey. I do apologize for bringing such an unpleasant guest to your court."

Queen Kalanta said, "That is no problem. I'll leave it to Artus to put your boy at ease."

Artus bowed to the guests, said, "It would be my pleasure" and motioned to Carl to precede him. Carl slouched to the door. Artus felt like pushing him to hurry him out of the room. Instead he followed Carl with as much decorum as he could muster. As soon as they were well away from the official reception, Artus scolded the bad-tempered Prince.

"Thanks for looking so happy that we meet again. I'm sure I don't know why you came. It was obvious when you stopped writing that you didn't want to be my friend anymore. "

Then he suddenly stopped. There were tears in Carl's eyes and Artus was amazed that his happy, light-hearted friend of half a year ago had become so sad.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing."

It was meant to sound sulky and rude but Artus could hear the stifled sob in Carl's voice.

"Nothing? Ha! As you would say 'pull the other one, it's got bells on'."

"What would you know? You're an only child. You're the centre of the universe to your mother. But what am I? The odd one out, one son too many!"

Carl had shouted the last words so hard that Artus feared it might be heard by the Queen and her guests. He grabbed Carl by the arm and dragged him as far away from the official reception rooms as possible to the small parlour that had become his private den. He unceremoniously plonked his friend down in a comfortable sofa and sat down opposite him.

"Tell," he insisted.

The forceful attitude of his friend had taken Carl of guard and before he realised it he was telling Artus about his problems.

"I never had anybody," he said. "I never had a friend at home. My brother is so much older than I am and even my youngest sister is four years older. My parents never had time for me either. My father has my brother, his son and heir. He didn't need another one. At least my sisters were important to form alliances. My mother too preferred girls. They talk about clothes and husbands and other boring stuff all day long. The only one who cared about me was Nanny Anny."

Artus remembered the woman he'd visited in her room with Carl.

"Surely she still cares about you, Carl. That was obvious from seeing you two together."

"She's gone," Carl blurted out. "She got married and she's gone. She lives somewhere in town with this man."

"You can still go and visit her, can't you?"

"I did …some months ago … and I saw her belly. She was expecting a child of her own. She doesn't want me anymore now she has a baby; nobody wants me."

He got up to run away but Artus grabbed him by the arms.

"_I_ need you. You are the only friend I have ever had."

He saw the look of incredulity in Carl's eyes.

"Do you think my parents always had time for me? Father was ruling the country and I barely saw him. And now mother is always busy. It seems that the only time I see her is at official functions and during meals. You're not the only one who knows what loneliness is, Carl."

Silence. Then after some time Carl said, "I've behaved like an idiot, haven't I."

"Yes."

"I've been a selfish little sod."

"Yes."

"Do you want to be friends with an idiotic, selfish little sod?"

"No … but I still want to be YOUR friend."

"In less than a week I'll have to go back home though, and it'll be nearly six months before you and your mother come to visit us. Even then I'll hardly see you. It will be official duties and official dinners the whole time."

Artus hadn't heard a word of his friend's moaning. Something had occurred to him and he was working out the practicalities in his mind.

"Do you think your parents would mind if you stayed here with us? I'm sure it will be alright for my mother. We can learn together and play together and we won't be so lonely anymore."

Carl said, "That's a capital idea!" and cheered up considerably.

"We'll have to ask our parents first, so don't get your hopes up too high. They might say no."

But Carl thought it was such a good idea that nobody could say 'NO' to it.

That evening before dinner Artus told Queen Kalanta about the idea he'd had and how wonderful it would be for him and Carl. The Queen thought it would be an excellent solution to her son's loneliness but to Artus she only said, "I'll ask his parents if they agree and if they do, I have no objections."

When she posed the question to King Gustav and Queen Margaretta, the King said, "I hope you realise what you ask, Majesty. Our son is an impossible boy and might disrupt your quiet life."

"The disruption will come as a relief to my son. It is far too quiet here for a boy his age. He is getting far too serious. The friendship with your son will do him the world of good."

"Well then I give my permission. They might influence each other in a positive way. Your quiet son might quieten down my wild boy and we might have two well-balanced sons in the end."

And so the deal was done. Carl just went to fetch his belongings and returned as soon as possible. The two boys did everything together and became as close as brothers. Sometimes Carl went to visit his parents but more and more he felt that his home was now with Queen Kalanta and Artus. Eventually he called her 'mother' as well.

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	3. Chapter 3

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 3**

As their parents had hoped Carl's impetuousness was calmed down by his friend and Artus learned to enjoy life to the full. When his twenty-first birthday came nearer and his mother talked about his coronation and how to celebrate it, he asked her if she could stay on for a bit longer.

"Before my chances of an anonymous life are gone forever, I would like to see the world. Carl and I would like to make a tour of the continent."

Silence…no answer came.

"…and I could have a secret look at available Princesses?" he added.

At this the Queen laughed. Then Carl came rushing in.

"Is it alright? Can we go?"

Queen Kalanta looked at the two young men and was filled with pride. There was her son, Artus, good-looking, with dark hair that curled when it grew a bit too long – he hated that – and dark brown eyes that glinted with golden lights when he was passionate about a cause or mischievous like now; and Carl, who had lived with them so long that he had become a second child, handsome with light hair, bleached by the sun, and grey-blue eyes that took on the colour of a stormy sky when angry. If those two were to look at 'available Princesses', hearts would be broken. "Thank the Powers," thought the Queen, "that their looks are the least of their attractions." They weren't perfect – who is? – but Artus and Carl were intelligent, generally good-natured boys with sound characters. They would not take advantage of all too eager girls. Permission for the journey was granted and the Princes left. They kept in touch with the Queen, especially about marriageable Princesses (or the lack thereof).

Three full years they stayed away. In the fourth year Artus started to feel the urge to return home. It got worse and worse until finally Carl suggested that they might as well go home as the fun had gone out of the experience if Artus didn't enjoy it.

Back home the Queen wanted to know about their adventures at the different courts and Carl told her everything she wanted to know and more, but Artus was very quiet. His mother asked him what was wrong, but he didn't know; he just didn't feel right. When Queen Kalanta brought up the kingship again, he asked her to wait until he felt better.

Then came the day of his twenty-fifth birthday.

Because Prince Artus had not come down to breakfast, his mother went to his room and asked what was wrong. He just snarled at her, "Leave me alone! Get out and leave me alone!"

The physician was sent to have a look at the Prince but he fared no better.

Midday, and yet again the Prince did not appear. Kalanta took a bowl of soup to her son and Carl, who wanted to know what was wrong with his friend, followed her. When they arrived at the top of the stairs, they heard a bloodcurdling scream. The Queen dropped the tray with the soup bowl; then she started to run for her son's room where the cry had come from. Before she reached it, the door was flung open and something came out: a monster, a slavering beast without a trace of humanity. It was covered in a thick longhaired pelt like a yak, with horns like a ram, and the sharp incisors of a sabre-toothed tiger. It lumbered towards Queen Kalanta, walking upright like a bear, its arms spread as if to embrace her, growling ferociously. Carl saw the paws with the vicious claws and pulled the Queen, who was paralysed by fear, away down the staircase. The beast increased its speed, following them. As they were making for the doorway, they suddenly heard another cry as of a creature in pain. Kalanta looked over her shoulder and saw her son sitting on the bottom step. She wanted to run towards Artus, but Carl stopped her. She didn't understand.

"Let me go to my son. Can't you see he's ill? He needs me."

"This is no sickness I've ever heard of, mother."

Before Carl had finished his sentence, a change came over Artus and with a howl he became the beast again, chasing his friend and his mother. Again and again Artus changed from creature to human and back again. Meanwhile Carl had convinced the Queen to lure her son towards the dungeons and lock him in one of the cells.

"It will give us time to find out what has happened to Artus and what we can do to cure him," he told her.

Kalanta saw this made sense and cooperated with Carl's plan. As they neared the dungeons Artus, during his lucid periods, realised what they were trying to do. When they reached the dungeons Carl opened a cell door. Just then Artus had his human form and calmly walked in. No sooner had Carl closed the cell or Artus started to change again. In agony he called out, "Mother!"

Nothing could stop her now. Through the bars of the cell she grabbed her son's arms.

"Fight it," she said. "Fight it, Artus."

"Please, help me, mother."

Artus took hold of his mother's arms as well.

"I will. I'm here, I'm not going away."

The changes followed each other faster and faster. There was now no Artus and no beast, just a blurred thing, but the Queen felt the beast's claws dig into her arms, and in the blur she still saw her son's eyes, pleading her not to let go.

Carl did the only thing he was allowed to do. He talked to his friend, encouraged him, like Queen Kalanta, to fight whatever it was that was trying to possess him. He shouted it out; the Queen shouted it out; "FIGHT IT! FIGHT IT! FIGHT IT!"

They shouted to be heard above the howling, screaming, crying that came from Artus.

Then the noise stopped. The blur became a definite shape; it was not as terrifying as the slavering monster but very much still a beast. It was no longer Artus. The Queen let go of the creature and it crawled into a corner.

"Artus?"

It looked at Queen Kalanta and she saw it didn't recognise her; it roared at the queen and she knew it was no longer her son. The running was over; the fear had gone. Now the horror hit the Queen and she started crying. Carl tried to take her away from the cell and into bed with a calming medicine but Queen Kalanta wanted to stay with the beast that used to be her son.

"Leave me, my son needs me here," she said.

Carl wanted to do something. He called the Queen's advisers together and asked if any of them either knew or had an idea what had happened or perhaps could tell him of a way to bring Prince Artus back.

After a long silence one of them finally said, "Well, I think that the King … I mean, they say that … er … during the war … well, it was strange … we never could have … and he was gone for a while … but it must be nonsense. I mean … it couldn't have been, could it?"

"For heaven's sake, man, WHAT!" shouted Carl. "Tell us, whatever it is."

"Well, apparently…" The man hesitated then in one breath said, "apparently-the-King-asked-a-Wizard-to-help-him-in -the-war-to-defeat-the-King-of-Eburon … apparently."

"A Wizard?"

"Yes." The man had gained some confidence. "They say he helps people."

"Right, you think he might help us get Artus back."

A short hesitation, then, "He might have caused it."

"I thought he helped people."

The man nodded, "For a price. Perhaps the price wasn't paid."

Carl doubted the Queen knew anything about a deal King Ludovick might have made with the wizard.

"Where is this Wizard?" he asked.

"The old folk say that he lives somewhere in the mountains. There." And the man pointed to the mountain that could be seen from the conference room.

It took only one look at the fear on the faces of the counsellors for Carl to realise that he would have to go and look for the Wizard himself. He thanked the man who'd given the information and returned to the dungeons where Queen Kalanta sat opposite the cell where the beast that was her son was pacing up and down, occasionally growling and clawing at her through the bars of the cell door.

"I've been told there is a wizard who might help us. He lives in the mountains and I'm going to see him."

"The wizard … yes … Ludovick told me there was a wizard."

Carl noticed she wasn't really paying attention, too focused on what was happening in the cell.

He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back soon," he said, doubting she had realised that he was going. He packed some food and water and went on his way.

It was a nice day and Carl made good time, but still, when he looked back he was amazed at how far he had gone already. Stranger still, although he was not following any visible road, he never hesitated about which direction to take. Then he came to a pine forest and there was a path. The wood was so dark that he could not see where it went. Carl didn't want to go into the darkness but the only direction he could move was towards the forest. He could not help himself and soon he was deep amid the trees, seeing only the trail ahead. Carl hated it that somebody seemed to be guiding his steps, hated that he was no longer master of his own body. Later he could never say how long he had been in the pine forest, whether hours or just a few minutes. Then the path came to an end, blocked by a dense thorny hedge. It stretched left and right as far as Carl could see. Still under some sort of spell, he kept going forward even though he was afraid that he would be torn to shreds by the long vicious looking thorns. Then the barrier parted and Carl went through, out of the wood, out of the darkness and into the sunlight. The path crossed a meadow full of flowers. On the other side of the meadow stood the Wizard's ivory tower. Now Carl no longer felt any fear. He ran towards the tower. He knocked at the door and pulled the bell rope at the same time.

The Wizard opened the door.

"You are eager to start your apprenticeship," he said in a friendly voice.

"What apprenticeship? I've come to ask for your help. Something terrible has happened to Artus."

"Artus? Who's Artus?"

"Prince Artus, son of King Ludovick and Queen Kalanta."

"You are not the son of King Ludovick?"

"No, I'm his friend. You must come; he's changed into some sort of animal."

"By all the forces of nature!" The Wizard went inside and soon came out again with a travel bag and a carpet. He put the carpet on the ground and sat down on it.

"Sit down behind me and hold on. This thing travels fast. It was a present from a colleague in the Orient – a total madman if you ask me – but it is handy for emergency travelling."

Carl did as he was told, wondering what would happen.

The Wizard said, "To the palace," the carpet rose from the ground, hovered a moment and then shot forward toward the pine forest. It whizzed through the trees with such a speed that Carl couldn't, daren't look. First he concentrated on the pattern of the Wizard's cloak, but the carpet went so close to the trees it startled him, so he closed his eyes and held on to the Wizard with all his might. He felt sure the man was as mad as his oriental colleague. Suddenly the wild ride came to an end. Carl wondered what had happened and carefully opened his eyes. To his amazement they had already arrived at the royal palace.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Welcome to new followers TheNovelistGirl and Akora17. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story. ****Thanks to Jimli and Akora17 for the reviews.**  


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**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 4**

The Queen had still not left her son, so Carl brought the Wizard to the dungeon and explained on the way how his friend had changed into a beast. The Wizard realised what had happened, but when Queen Kalanta asked him to help Artus, he had little comfort for her.

He asked her, "Your Majesty, did your husband ever tell you that he asked for my help in the war against Eburon?"

"Of course he did. He said that without you Peratha would have been lost."

"Did he tell you about the agreement we had and the price I asked for my help?"

"No. I presumed all debts were paid. But what has all that got to do with my son?"

Then he told her what his price had been and what was agreed upon the night King Ludovick had appeared at his tower with his baby son to pay his debt.

He ended, "I am sorry, Majesty, but there is nothing I can do. Twenty-five years have gone since and the debt has not been paid. I cannot undo this curse; it is a standard part of a Wizarding contract."

"Do you mean that an innocent must suffer for ever, because you got the price wrong? Are you a mighty Wizard or a charlatan? Undo this sorcery!"

When it became apparent that the Wizard could not do anything to help Prince Artus, the Queen was furious.

"You 'men of power' with your 'unbreakable contracts' and 'curse securities', why do you toy with forces you do not understand? Swear to me that this will never happen again, or I'll keep you prisoner for as long as my son is cursed."

"Majesty, I swear that since that terrible night I have always clearly stated the price for my help. I swear that I will continue to do so in future. I swear that your son will be the last person to suffer this fate through me. I call upon the forces of nature to witness this oath. May they punish me if I do not hold to it."

"They will," said the Queen. Then she was silent, thoughtful.

After a short while she spoke, slowly, as if she was not sure yet of her idea.

"Wizard, you might have helped already by calling the forces of nature. Do you really believe in them, Wizard, or is it just a phrase for you."

Then, for the first time since her son had become a beast, Queen Kalanta left the dungeon and went outside, out of the castle grounds and into her private park, an untamed area of woodland with a little brook running through it and wildflowers growing everywhere. She took of her jewellery, her crown and the veil that covered her hair; she took of her beautifully embroidered dress, her shoes and stockings. With her silver hair flowing free, dressed in nothing but her chemise, Kalanta stood barefoot in the water. She raised her hands, palms turned upwards, to the sky and in a loud voice cried out,

"Powers of nature, spirits of air, water and land, my sisters come to me and help me in my need! Powers of nature, spirits of air, water and land, my sisters come to me and help the one I love! Powers of nature, spirits of air, water and land, my sisters come to me and undo the injustice of men!"

Then she waited. The water of the brook slowly soaked her shift. She started to shiver. Her arms were still held high and began to ache. Where were they? Why did they not come? Didn't they realise that she was not a young woman anymore? But that was it; _they_ did not grow old, _they_ did not understand the decay of a human body. Or perhaps they did. Perhaps they wanted to punish her for daring to love a man and choosing love above immortality. Just as she thought she could hold on no longer, a warm breeze – like a caress – touched her face and played with her hair. A fog – not damp and cold, but dry and warm - rose and spread among the trees. It whirled around and in the swirls shapes appeared. The mist lifted and surrounding the Queen were eleven beautiful ladies. It was impossible to say whether they were young girls or mature women. They all had their hair loose, wore simple flowing dresses and walked barefoot.

"You don't have to keep your arms up any longer, Kalanta. We are here."

Two of them helped the Queen out of the brook and when they touched her, the pain stopped and she felt dry and warm again.

"Why did you call us, Kalanta? You know we don't mix in human affairs anymore."

"It is my son; he has been cursed by a Wizard. I beg you, help him."

Then the queen explained what had happened, how and why her son had changed into a monster.

"Why don't you ask the Wizard? Clearly it is his doing and it must be his to undo."

"He can't. Please, Orelia, you are my son's godmother, help him. Didn't you promise you would be there for him if he needed you? He does now, more than he ever will."

"We will see what we can do," Orelia said. "Come, my sisters, I will need all your help."

The fairies – for that is the name they have among humans – talked for a long time while the Queen waited and hoped. She sat quietly on a rock near the brook and remembered her first meeting with her husband. She had been happy with Orelia and her other sisters and she had never considered falling in love with a human. But it had happened. It had been love at first sight between her and Ludovick. Both had been warned that it would not last and both were determined to prove everybody wrong. And they had; they had been happy together, even when the longed for children did not appear. Then Artus was born, unexpected but very welcome. It had been the luckiest time of their lives, cut short by Ludovick's death. No, she did not regret the choice she had made. She did not regret the vow that had made her Ludovick's wife and a mortal.

The Queen was interrupted in her musings when Orelia came to her.

"We may be able to do something, but first we have to see your son."

Queen Kalanta and her sisters went to the castle and she showed them what her son had become. Then she introduced them to the Wizard. The fairies asked him about the kind of help he had given to the king, why he had asked a price and a few other questions. Then they looked at each other and nodded their heads.

"I'm sorry, Kalanta, but we have bad news." said Orelia. "There was no malice intended; not from the king and not from the Wizard. This makes it a more difficult curse to break. Evil is only a destructive force and we can counter it with ease. This is an agreement that went wrong. No malice was intended by your husband or this Wizard and your son is an innocent victim. "

"But you said you would be able to do something. Are you now saying that you can't?"

"No, I said 'we may be able to help'. I also said that it will be difficult to help Artus. We are lucky though. You have helped him to fight the curse and it is already weakened. He is a beast but he did not become the vile, murderous brute you first saw. What we need now is a woman who is willing to share his fate. The curse will be broken after a year if love grows between Artus and this woman. It seems simple but it isn't. I doubt that you will find a woman willing to do this."

The Queen was optimistic. "Of course we will find somebody. If they love each other the girl will be my son's wife. It is not a difficult task if marrying Artus is the price. We'll make sure they're married beforehand. It is an honour and the girls will come from far and wide."

"If you say so, Kalanta. We will stay in the castle for a while longer to appraise the prospective brides. We have to make sure your son gets the best chance possible to break this curse."

ooOOoo


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thanks to my reviewers Akora17, Jimli and Arista Everett June**

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**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 5**

At first it seemed that the Queen was right. A proclamation was made that Prince Artus was looking for a bride and every eligible woman aged between sixteen and thirty-five was welcome to try her luck. They arrived in droves; tall ones, short ones, big ones, small ones; blondes, brunettes and redheads; smart ones, silly ones, loud ones, quiet ones; queens, princesses, duchesses, countesses, but also shepherdesses, seamstresses, waitresses and beggar girls. From the highest to the lowest, they all came running from Peratha and Eburon and even further, very eager to get married but when they heard the condition and saw the Prince they ran even faster back to their parents. At the end of a year the last girl had returned home and no new girls appeared. The news had spread that Queen Kalanta's son was horrific, a wild animal, a beast that would doubtlessly eat the poor girl that would become his wife before the wedding night was over. Angry parents came to the castle and wanted this threat to their daughters removed. The Wizard and the fairies had to use all their powers to keep the crowd from storming the palace and killing Prince Artus.

Prince Carl had received quite a few offers of marriage but he shuddered at the thought of marrying anyone who spoke with such callousness about his friend's ordeal as these girls did.

When it became clear that no girl wanted to marry the Prince, Queen Kalanta started to cry.

"What will happen now? My son is a beast and he will die a beast. What am I to do? What am I to do?"

Prince Carl put his arm around her and tried to comfort her. Then her sisters, the fairies, hugged her and Orelia said, "Don't cry, Kalanta, we will not let this happen. We have talked to the Wizard and we will create a magic garden where your son can live in peace and not grow older. There he can wait until the day a girl will come to break the curse."

At this the Queen looked up hopeful, but Carl shuddered.

"He will be so lonely in that garden. Even a beast would feel that. How long will he have to wait for this girl? Does she exist? I wish I could help him with this."

"You could, if you are willing to give up part of your life."

"How?"

"You would live in the garden and not grow older, like Artus. During the day Artus would be the beast he is now and you would have to be a statue in the garden. From sunset to sunup both of you would be human again. You give up half of each day to Artus. That is the only way you can keep him company. Would you do this for him?"

Carl did not hesitate a second.

"Yes! Of course!"

"And I?" cried Kalanta. "Can I be there with my sons? Can't I become a statue?"

"We are very sorry, Kalanta, but you cannot. You were a magical being, like us, and you gave that up to marry Ludovick. We cannot give it back to you, not even for a limited time. You have chosen your fate and we cannot change that. The magic of the garden will prevent you or anybody else from entering just like it will allow the right girl to go in."

Kalanta cried but while the tears ran down her face she said, "At least there is hope for Artus, and he will not be alone."

Then the Wizard and the fairies took Kalanta to the remotest part of the kingdom and created the garden where Artus and Carl were to live. First they created a wall. It grew out of the earth, slate grey and slippery, higher than the tower of a cathedral. On it the Wizard drew the outlines of a gate; this he hit once with his staff and it opened. Inside a dwelling had started to appear in the same way as the wall. It was pearlescent white, two floors high. The roof was silvery-grey, like the scales of a fish. In front of it, and overlooking a lake, was a terrace with a white balustrade. The Wizard drew a double door and windows on the building; the door in the middle, two windows to the right of the door, two to the left. Then, with a flourish of his hand, he made them real. He waved his hand again and the same appeared on the first floor, with a balcony running along the width of the house. Two of the fairies made the inside comfortable with furniture and soft furnishings while the rest took care of the garden. They made fountains and waterfalls, shelters and grottos. They made flowery and herbaceous borders and let climbing roses overgrow the back of the house. Kalanta walked around the garden, seeing everything come alive. She thought of Artus and Carl, how much she would miss them, how much she loved them. Kalanta's love for her son and foster son was so strong that the whole area became infused with it. When everything looked absolutely right, the Wizard and the fairies put spells on the garden: a spell to hide it, a spell to make it impenetrable, a spell to stop time, a spell to have blossom and fruit at the same time, a spell for food to appear each evening, and most importantly a spell that would allow entry to the right girl. When everything was ready they called Carl. They accompanied him to a little temple not far from the entrance and changed him into a statue.

That evening, for the first time since the curse was activated, Artus became himself again. His mother, Queen Kalanta, told him what had been arranged. He didn't want to accept Carl's sacrifice but he had no choice, the change had happened already. It had been his friend's plan from the start not to ask for permission as he knew that Artus would resist the offer.

The Wizard and the fairies stayed with the two young men that first evening to explain to them exactly what would happen and how long the wait was likely to be. For this one night Queen Kalanta was allowed to stay in the garden as well, as were Carl's parents who'd come post-haste from Eburon after receiving a message from their son.

Shortly after midnight King Gustav and Queen Margaretta said farewell to Carl and left. Queen Kalanta stayed longer until just before daybreak when she too had to leave Artus and Carl for ever. She tried to remain as cheerful and positive as possible but no sooner had the garden gates closed behind her than she fainted. The Wizard and the fairies took her home and made her comfortable in her bed. When she came round she started to cry and kept crying until she hadn't a tear left in her body. After that she became very calm and very quiet and nobody saw her laugh again, or even smile, for the rest of her life.

The fairies had to go as soon as Queen Kalanta had recovered, but the Wizard stayed. The responsibility for what had happened weighed heavily on him and he could not leave the Queen alone with her sorrow. He was the only person she could talk to about her sons, the only person who could show her a glimpse of her sons. In the night when she could not sleep, Queen Kalanta would go to the Wizard and he would show her a picture of Artus and Carl on the surface of a bowl of water. Sometimes she could even hear them talk.

All this had taken a great toll on the Queen's health. Although she had given up her immortality, she still used to be a fairy and could easily have lived to be well over hundred years old, nearer two hundred even. The loss of her sons, however, meant that she lost the zest for life and she died barely eighty years old.

As Queen Kalanta had requested, the Wizard became regent over the kingdom until the day Prince Artus would come back to be its King.

ooOOoo

Years went by. The Wizard was as good for the country as Queen Kalanta had been but the people were afraid of this never dying wizard. He decided that he had to trick them for their own happiness. He remembered a story that his teacher Merlin had told him about a sword in a stone that showed the true king and decided to do something similar.

He called as many people as possible to the Main Square of the capital and there thrust a sword and a dagger up to the hilt into the plinth of King Ludovick's statue. Then he spoke to the people:

"People of Peratha, subjects of Queen Kalanta, your Queen appointed me to be your regent, but I feel that you do not trust me, so I will leave you all in peace. However, to ensure that this country will continue as your Queen wished, I have left this sword and this dagger here. They once belonged to King Ludovick and are now the property of Prince Artus. He who can remove the dagger is to be the next regent until the return of Prince Artus who is your true King. The Prince will prove his identity by taking what is rightfully his – his father's sword. By this token will you recognize your true King."

When the people understood what was happening they cheered. Shouts of "Hoorah!" and "Quite right!" and "Long live Artus, our true king!" sounded around the square. Then the wizard left and returned to his tower.

About a month or so later, a young man walked into the square and pulled the dagger from the plinth of King Ludovick's statue. He was escorted to the palace and made regent of the country and ruled wisely and just for many years, growing old like normal people. Then, when he was, to all account, an old man the Wizard pulled the same trick once again. This way he kept his promise to Queen Kalanta and the regent was loved instead of feared. There were of course charlatans and conmen who tried to claim the sword and kingship but however much they tried, King Ludovick's sword remained solidly embedded in the stone plinth of his statue.

ooOOoo


	6. Chapter 6

******Author's Note: Again all my thanks to my faithful reviewers Akora17, Jimli and Arista Everett June. I hope you'll keep enjoying all the twists and turns this story makes.**

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**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 6**

Many, many times the Wizard used the ruse of the Regent's Dagger. Many, many years passed. Many, many kings and queens followed King Gustav and Queen Margaretta.

In the garden time stood still, even if day and night still appeared. Artus and Carl did not age, but to poor Artus, doomed to be a beast by day and feeling the weight of his friend's sacrifice at night, each day seemed like eternity. If it hadn't been for Carl's encouragement and optimism, Artus would have given up.

Back in the real world the mysterious garden and the two princes – one a statue, one a beast – had become history. The history had slowly been distorted into the legend of a beast that had changed two princes into statues and kept them captive in a garden. Ultimately it became a fairy tale that mothers used, to scare their children into good behaviour. "If you don't behave the beast will come and get you and turn you into a statue in his garden."

This story had spread across the continent and very learned men debated on the veracity of the story and its origins.

By this time the last descendant of King Gustav had died childless. The kingship had gone to the only heir of Queen Matilda and her husband: her husband's youngest brother. Thus with King Xavier and Queen Henrietta a new dynasty now ruled Eburon. The Wizard, who had just come back from a rejuvenating break in his tower as the new regent, organised a visit to the new monarchs. The new king and the _new_ regent were eager to continue the friendly relationship between the two countries.

During the official dinner on the first day the wizard noticed a young woman, one of the queen's ladies, staring at him. For the first time in his very long life he felt something stirring in his body. Of course he knew nothing could possibly come of this. She was a young woman and he was old enough to be her he'd-lost-count-how-many-times-great-grandfather. Yes, the rejuvenation made him young in every fibre of his body, but he had more memories than normal for a man of the age he appeared to be. He was after all a very, very old man.

At the next official gala ball the girl came straight to him when the master of ceremonies announced with a loud voice, "Ladies Choice", an old Eburon custom that allowed women to have at least one dance with the man of their choice. The wizard knew that refusing her would be considered rude to the extreme. Not that he really wanted to. He held her as if she was a delicate exotic flower or made of priceless porcelain. Dancing with her felt heavenly but all too soon the dance ended. Unfortunately he had to dance with an awful lot of important woman before he could even think of asking her again. It was late when he had fulfilled his official duties and he wondered if she had left already like so many had done. She hadn't. He looked around the ballroom and saw her, staring at him again. He walked towards her, knowing he shouldn't, knowing it was wrong, knowing he would give her false hope, but he couldn't help himself.

"Shall we dance, Miss?"

"Danella, my name is Danella."

"May I have this dance, Lady Danella?"

She laughed. "I'm not a Lady. My name is Forrester, Danella Forrester. I was hired by the late queen to be her companion; the last one she engaged. Queen Matilda loved to surround herself with pretty young girls. Queen Henrietta kept me on as lady-in-waiting because I had no home to return to."

"No home? That is sad."

"Not really, I like it here. Shall we dance then, Lord …"

It was his turn to laugh. "Bernard du Montagne, but you can call me Bernard."

While they were dancing they continued their conversation.

"Bernard doesn't really suit you, I think. It's a name that appears regularly in your family, doesn't it? It was Bernard or Armand or Bertrand right from the first du Montagne regent."

"You are interested in the regency of Peratha?"

"I'm interested in history of Peratha AND Eburon. Aren't you? Seeing that you're the regent?"

"I feel as if I've lived it," he said.

They danced until the ball ended that night. Every minute of free time he had, the wizard spent with the young woman. He realised he was giving her hope for a future he could not give her. And more than likely she wouldn't want it if she knew the truth about his age.

The last day of the visit had arrived. Before the official leave-taking, after which he would set off immediately, he had some free time. Together with Danella he went for a walk in the extensive park around the castle. They were walking silently. The wizard wanted to say goodbye, wanted to tell Danella what a wonderful time he'd had but he was afraid that he would hurt her, whatever he said. It was Danella who spoke first.

"You're leaving today, aren't you?"

"Yes, just after midday."

"Aren't you going to ask me?"

"Ask what?"

"To be your wife. I know we've only just met but we feel more than friendship for each other, don't we?"

"Danella, you can't understand-"

"It can only be one of two things," she interrupted. "Either you think I'm too common-"

"No, Danella, don't think that. Never that."

"Then it's because you think me too young for you … Master Wizard."

Dumbstruck he looked at the young woman.

"It wasn't too difficult to work out you know. The wizard who returned to his mountain. The succession of regents, who never marry and disappear when they get old and always a new one pops up, from the same family: 'du Montagne', 'from the mountain'."

"Well, you've guessed my secret, so you know how old I actually am. You must realise that marriage between us is totally out of the question. The age difference-"

"Well, it doesn't bother me and to everyone else you're a young man of suitable age. The queen will think I made a good match, considering I'm not nobility."

"Danella, are you sure?" He couldn't believe that this happiness might be his after all.

"Am I sure about what?" she teased.

He went down on one knee.

"Miss Danella Forrester, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

"Yes, I do," she said, quietly and solemnly. Then she added with a laugh, "But you'll have to tell me your real name. I'm sure it's not Bernard."

"It's Quirinius."

"Danella and Quirinius, yes, that sounds better than Danella and Bernard."

The wizard got up.

"You are absolutely sure you want to marry an old man?"

"I'm absolutely sure I want to marry you, Quirinius," she answered, then she kissed him.

For a while they sat in the garden, enjoying the happiness they had just found. They returned to the palace well before midday and the wizard asked to see the king and queen on an urgent matter. He was granted an audience and took Danella with him in the office.

Quirinius came to the point immediately and said, "Your majesties, forgive me this intrusion. I have asked for Miss Forrester's hand in marriage and she has kindly agreed. I hope you'll approve our union. Though we made up our minds rather quickly, we are sure of ourselves."

"It was quick, yes, but I was already aware of Miss Forrester's feelings," said the queen.

"And my wife told me, so this doesn't really come as a surprise to us," added the king. "We both agree that this marriage is the best thing that could happen to Danella. My wife and I will take care of everything. In this we'll act as Danella's parents."

Three months later the wizard married his beloved Danella and took her back to Peratha. They were very happy together. Even more so when Danella became pregnant. When their little girl was born they doted on it. For three years their life was perfect.

One evening after their girl's third birthday, the fairy Orelia appeared.

"Mr Wizard, this time it is you who must pay," she said. "I have need of your child and I've come to take it away."

Danella picked up her child, holding it close. Quirinius turned pale. Was his one mistake going to hurt the woman he loved?

"Please," he said. "This won't just hurt me. My wife-"

"You misunderstand me, Master Wizard." Orelia sighed deeply then she continued, "Since Kalanta left us we are not so strong as we once were. Our full power requires twelve and for too long there have been only eleven of us. Now Athera has seen a dark shadow over the future of Peratha and Eburon. The missing king of Peratha and the illness of the heir to Eburon are threatening the peace of both countries. Greedy neighbours are thinking of their resources and want them. Athera has seen that your child is to play an essential part in keeping the countries safe."

"What could our child do to keep the peace?" the wizard asked. "She's only a toddler."

Orelia had to tell them all she knew, everything Athera had told her about the vision. Eventually she agreed that Danella and Quirinius could keep their child a bit longer. In the two years that followed she visited the regent of Peratha and his family regularly at the palace. Too soon for the parents they celebrated the child's fifth birthday.

The following day Orelia arrived early. She spent the day with Danella and Quirinius.

She told them, "We cannot defer the inevitable any longer. Athera insists the child has to come with me now, or it will be too late. I really don't relish having to do this to you but we have no choice."

Quirinius and Danella held each other tightly.

"We are ready," Danella said, "and so is Felìcita. We have told her a fairy tale which will make it easier for her to leave us. Promise she won't grieve for us."

"I promise. Your daughter will not grieve for you," Orelia said in a solemn voice.

The little girl was called and dressed for the journey. Danella and Quirinius hugged and kissed their daughter. They told her, "Be a good girl, be kind and don't fret about things you cannot change. Listen to Orelia and her sisters. We love you, Felìcita, remember that."

The little girl cried. Even if she was allowed to go away with a fairy, even if she had been prepared for this day, it was not easy to leave her parents. She was wise and brave beyond her years, though. She smiled through her tears and hugged her parents.

"Goodbye, mummy. Goodbye daddy," she said and grabbed the hand of the fairy.

Just as Orelia was about to leave with his daughter, Quirinius handed her a small fortune.

"Take this," he said. "I don't want my child to arrive at her destination and be called a beggar;"

Orelia took the money and said, "Thank you, Quirinius. If everything goes as we planned, you will see her again. Athera is convinced of that." With those last words of comfort, feeble as they were Orelia left with the little girl.

ooOOoo


	7. Chapter 7

**********Author's Note: To Jimli, Arista Everett June, and ************Akora17**. Thank you all for your review of the last chapter.

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**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 7**

About the same time Danella gave birth to her little girl, Queen Henrietta was expecting the heir to the throne of Eburon. When their daughter was born King Xavier and Queen Henrietta called her Julietta. Unfortunately there was a problem with the new heir; not because she was a girl – after all the previous ruler of the kingdom had been a Queen – but because of Julietta's health. Shortly after she was born, the little Princess became very ill. The doctors feared for her life but against all odds, the little girl recovered, although she remained a frail and sickly child. Her parents doted on her and consulted every doctor in their country and beyond in the hope that one of them might have the medicine that would make her healthy. All to no avail. Everybody felt sorry for Princess Julietta, especially as she was such a friendly girl. Even though she was always given anything she asked for, she never acted like a spoilt little brat.

ooOOoo

One summer's day the Queen took Princess Julietta for a ride in an open topped carriage, hoping that the sunshine and fresh air would do her good. Around midday they came to a nice looking house on the edge of the wood. As it seemed the perfect place for a picnic, Queen Henrietta asked the owners whether they could use the table and chairs that stood in the shade of a tree. The man didn't seem too eager, but the woman said, "You oaf, can't you see? It's Her Majesty, the Queen and Her Highness Princess Julietta."

To Queen Henrietta she was very friendly, "Please, Your Majesty, sit down. I'll get some fresh goat's milk for Her Highness, the Princess. If you need anything else, just ask. We're pleased to give you anything you want. You only have to ask my daughter." Then she shouted, "Linda, darling! Come here! Come quickly!"

A girl – about the same age as the Princess but much taller and generally bigger – came slouching from behind the house. She scowled when her mother told her to look after their important guests. When her mother had gone she dropped down on a chair. The Queen and the Princess had spread out their picnic on the table and started their meal. They asked Linda to help herself if she fancied something. Linda didn't hesitate and stuffed her face with sweets and cakes. Only when her mother returned did she show some manners.

The Queen and Linda's mother started talking about all manner of things but especially about their children, just like mothers all over the world do. Princess Julietta was a bit bored by the grown-up talk.

"Mother, could I go and see the garden behind the house?" she asked.

Quick as a shot Linda's mother said, "Of course you can see our garden, Your Highness." She ordered her daughter, "Linda, go with Her Highness Princess Julietta to our garden. Show her around and look after her."

Linda got up reluctantly and motioned to Julietta to follow her. As soon as they were behind the house and out of sight of their mothers, she said seemingly to a nearby bush, "You look after her. I'm going to bed to have my afternoon nap," and she disappeared in the house.

Julietta stared at the bush and wondered how it could look after her. Then she saw someone hiding behind it.

"Come out. I know you're there. Show yourself."

A girl came from behind the bush, as small as and even thinner than the Princess. She was dressed in ill-fitting clothes, but they were clean as was her face and hair even if the latter looked as if it hadn't seen a comb in a while.

"Can you show me the garden?" Julietta asked.

The girl nodded and motioned to Julietta to follow her. The further away they were from the house, the more relaxed the girl became. They had come to the very back of the garden, and the girl asked, "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course I can," Julietta answered, indignant at such a question.

"Come," said the girl, and she wriggled through a hole in the hedge that surrounded the garden. The Princess followed her into the forest. After a while they came to a clearing in the wood. The girl ran to a certain spot in the clearing, and picked something from the ground. Then she returned to the Princess and held her hands out. They were filled with little red berries.

"They are wild strawberries. Try some; they are very nice and very sweet."

Princess Julietta tried one.

"Oh! This is the best berry I have ever had! Can I have another one?"

"Of course."

The girls finished the berries between them; then they washed their hands and faces in a nearby brook. The strange little girl showed Princess Julietta all sorts of interesting things in the wood and both forgot the time. Never in her entire life had the Princess been out for such a long time. Never had she enjoyed herself so much without feeling tired.

"You're the best friend I have ever had," she said, "and I don't even know your name."

"My name is Zita and I know you are Princess Julietta. I heard your name when my aunt and uncle talked about you."

"Nice to meet you, Zita," said the Princess and curtsied.

Zita copied the Princess. "Nice to meet you too, Princess Julietta. I think we should go back now, it is late."

When Zita and Julietta arrived at the front of the house everybody had been looking for the Princess. The Queen had been very worried and clasped her daughter in her arms.

"Thank the Powers that you're back, Julietta. I thought something dreadful had happened to you."

"I was fine, mother, I was with Zita. She wouldn't let me get lost."

Zita's aunt was shouting at her daughter, "Why weren't you with the Princess like I told you?"

"Zita threatened to change me into a mouse. You know she is a witch, I'm afraid of her," cried Linda, big crocodile tears running down her cheeks.

The mother's anger instantly shifted to Zita.

"I should have known this was your doing, you dreadful child."

Then she slapped poor Zita, hard.

The Queen intervened. "There is no need to be so harsh on the girl. Nothing has happened to Julietta."

"I have to hit the devil out of this girl, Your Majesty. She's as bad as her mother, who's a slut, and her grandmother, who was a witch to boot." She stopped nevertheless.

Then Princess Julietta said to her mother, "Zita is my friend, and I would like her to come and live with me. She makes me feel better."

"As you don't seem to care for the girl, you won't mind if she comes with us, will you?" asked the Queen.

Zita's aunt was angry at the thought that the dreadful child would be allowed to live in the palace. That was not going to happen so with a sad face and sadder voice she said, "It is not like me to ruin somebody's chances, but I have to warn Your Majesty about this child. She has an unsuitable background especially if she's to be with the Princess all the time. I did not lie when I called her mother and grandmother sluts. Before my father married my mother, he had a woman living with him who wasn't his wife. This was the girl's grandmother. She was very strange – so my mother told me – and had obviously bewitched him because he was totally besotted with her and remained so for the rest of his life. They had a child but still she didn't want to get wed. One day she left, leaving her bastard child with my father. That is when he married my mother, and a proper time afterwards I was born. My father always preferred his bastard daughter to me. I know she only pretended to love him, and I told him so, but he would not listen. Just like her mother she had bewitched him. Then father became ill, and she was so unfeeling that she could nurse him while I couldn't look at him in his illness; it broke my heart. She left as soon as father was dead and buried, and my husband and I started looking after the house and everything. Then one day she drops this child on me and asks me to look after it because she can't. Then off she is again, and I'm left with this girl, no doubt a bastard like her mother, and not a penny did she leave to help me look after her. I did my best with her, Your Majesty, but she runs wild and there is no telling her to behave. Look at her clothes, new on this morning. My poor Linda is frightened to death because the little witch keeps threatening her. I wouldn't be surprised if the devil himself was her father. If the Princess wants a playmate why not take my girl. She's ever such a good girl, well behaved and hardworking. A much better choice, you will agree, your majesty."

The Queen looked at the two girls. Linda, with her mother's arm around her, smiling sweetly, a big healthy girl looking pretty in her frilly dress; she curtsied and said it would be an honour to become a playmate for the Princess. And then there was Zita: she just stood there, looking at the ground, her apparently new clothes already in rags. Linda shook her golden curls as she looked from her mother to Queen Henrietta and back. Zita's mop of hair, although clean, looked wild and unkempt. What had Julietta seen in this ragamuffin to want her for a friend?

"Wouldn't it be better if the other girl came with us, darling? She looks much nicer and friendlier to me."

Poor Zita was fighting back the tears. Her face was still aching where her aunt had hit her, but even deeper went the pain of not being wanted.

Suddenly the Princess began to howl and shout, "Waa…aa…aa…aah! I want Zita! I want Zita!"

For the first (and only) time in her life she had a tantrum. Princess Julietta didn't want Linda; she didn't like Linda. Linda had told a lie, not a little one but a great big whopper of a lie. Zita was her friend, and Zita was to come with her, not that two-faced Linda.

The Queen tried to comfort her daughter, tried to coax her out of her fit but nothing helped. In the end all she could do was give in, "Allright, Zita can come with us. She'll be your friend."

Secretly the Queen decided to keep an eye on this strange girl, and to get rid of her if she turned out to be the wrong sort of friend for her daughter.

Queen Henrietta needn't have worried as she soon found out. With her hair sorted out and dressed in new clothes Zita looked like any other girl. She didn't ruin her clothes like her aunt had said and was obedient and polite. The governess who was teaching the two girls praised her new pupil.

"What a great idea, Your Majesty, to have brought this girl here. Her eagerness to learn has inspired our Princess."

Bit by bit Princess Julietta regained her health, not in the least because she spent much more time outside in the fresh air with Zita. Just as slowly Zita lost her shyness with everybody including the Queen who realised that Zita's aunt must have lied to get her own daughter into the palace, though she never found out how economical the woman had been with the truth.

Julietta and Zita spent all their time together. During the day they were either studying or playing and running outside. On rainy days their laughter could be heard ringing in the corridors of the castle. Often of an evening the princess and Zita's would sit together, their heads bowed over a book; golden wheat on black ebony.

ooOOoo


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note to Jimli: I'm sure you know how much I appreciate your reviews. **

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 8**

The years passed quickly. King Xavier and Queen Henrietta had become used to hearing their daughter's happy laughter and seeing her running around with her friend. The girls had grown up to be good-looking young women. From the moment they were allowed to go to the royal balls, they had been surrounded by suitors but so far none of them had impressed the girls.

On midsummer's evening the King and Queen had their annual garden party. The feast went on till the morning. Julietta and Zita danced all night, so it was no surprise that the next day they felt very tired, but a week later Princess Julietta still felt exhausted. Her parents, who were worried, called the doctors. They prescribed all sorts of restorative medicines, none helped. Cook prepared the nicest and most nourishing food but the Princess barely touched it.

Soon it became clear to everyone that the illness that had troubled Princess Julietta when she was a child had come back – only worse. Zita stayed in her friend's room day and night, nursing her, feeding her, cooling her down when she was hot, making her warm when she was cold, and occasionally reading to her when she needed some distraction. Meanwhile the whole country was looking for a cure; most made no difference and some made Julietta feel worse. King Xavier and Queen Henrietta feared for their child's life.

One day a man asked to see the King and Queen, saying he had important news for them concerning the Princess.

He told them, "In my country I am a well-known astrologer. People come from everywhere to ask my advice. I have made few mistakes in my work. That is because I always combine astrology with other divination techniques to come to my answers. I wanted to do a simple astrology report on your daughter when she was born – a service I render to all royal houses – but I came to some unusual results and did more research. "

"We don't believe in astrology and that sort of hocus-pocus," the King interrupted him. "What we want is a cure for our daughter's illness."

"That it what I bring you, Your Majesty. Your daughter's astrology chart puzzled me and I have been searching for the answers since she was born. I can now give you the result of my research. The solution to your daughter's problem lies in a mystic garden in your neighbour's kingdom. If she goes there she'll be cured of her illness."

"How dare you mock our sorrow with your inane ideas? My daughter needs more than a walk in the garden to get better."

"I'm not mocking you, Sire. The stars predict that the Princess will find health and happiness in this garden. My scrying bowl shows the Princess in the same garden as a healthy woman in the arms of a man. Several other methods that I have tried all point to the importance of the presence of the Princess in the mystic garden."

"Supposing I believe your nonsense, where is this wonderful healing garden? What is so special about it that it can cure her?"

"That was the most difficult thing to find out, Sire. I still don't know what the cure consists of, herbs, healing water, the garden itself, I don't know. All I know is that the Princess has to go to your neighbouring country. The garden is somewhere in the hills, but it seems to be hidden from view. I travelled all over the country but never found the one that was shown to me in my scrying."

"So my daughter is to go wandering in the hills of my neighbour's country, looking for a garden that doesn't exist except in your imagination. I suggest you leave immediately and don't speak another word unless you care to spend the rest of your life in a dungeon. GO! NOW!"

The astrologer was frightened by the King's anger, so he went away but left his papers on a table in the hallway.

ooOOoo

The King didn't want anybody to know about the astrologer's visit or about the things he had said but somehow within days the whole country seemed to know. Suddenly the palace was besieged by soothsayers, astrologers and gypsy fortune-tellers, as well as storytellers and historians who claimed to know more about the garden. The King wanted to set the army on them but the Queen had read the astrologer's notes. She convinced King Xavier that it would do no harm to hear what all those people had to say.

"As you wish, Henrietta," the King said. "As long as I don't have to listen to their waffle they can talk all day long if they want to."

Then the King appointed six secretaries. They had to make sure that each person at the gate would be heard, and they had to sort the nonsense from the useful knowledge. In the evening they had to report to the King whether they had heard anything interesting.

Most of those who claimed to foretell the future only repeated the astrologer's words; the rest didn't make any sense at all. Only two claimed that death awaited the Princess if she should go to the garden as they had seen a monster crawling around in it.

The storytellers talked about a legend they had heard about a magical garden. Unfortunately they couldn't agree what the actual story was. Some said a terrible monster that devoured maidens was forever locked up there, chained by the magic of a powerful wizard; others claimed that there was a golden palace and treasures beyond anybody's imagination waiting for the person who could break the magical lock. Three talked about a prince although they couldn't agree whether he was changed into a statue, held captive by a monster or turned into a beast himself.

The King wasn't at all surprised that nothing useful had come out.

"Thank the Powers," he thought, "that I haven't wasted my time listening to this drivel."

Then the historians came and they had the only proof that there might have been a garden. They had looked in the archives of hundreds of years ago and there they had found the following entry:

_Today, the 27th of Flormaan, King Gustav and Queen Margaretta returned from their unexpected visit to Queen Kalanta. The Queen was crying and said that at least the garden was beautiful. The King replied that Prince Carl was a very brave young man._

_When I asked when the Prince would return I was told he would in all likelihood not be coming back. At that the Queen cried even more._

Two of the historians had gone abroad to see whether they could find anything about this mysterious garden. In an antiquarian bookshop they had found a book called 'The Reign of Queen Kalanta'. In the last chapter they found:

_It was at this time that Prince Artus disappeared and the Queen never recovered from the loss. I tried to get information on the disappearance but nobody at the court was willing to talk to me. Eventually a groom told me that Prince Artus had become a raving madman. He also said that our Queen did not want to lock him up in a lunatic asylum and had a house built for her son surrounded by a walled garden where he still lives with his friend Prince Carl, son of King Gustav and Queen Margaretta, to look after him._

_I confronted the palace with this information. First they told me there was no comment then they suggested that I should prove that the garden existed, and then we could talk. No need to say that so far I have found no trace of it._

When King Xavier heard this he said, "Is this all the proof you can come up with? I'm not sending my daughter, who's ill, on a wild goose chase looking for a garden that either doesn't exist or is really part of a lunatic asylum."

And that was that. The only problem was that Princess Julietta was still ill and seemed to be getting worse rather than better. Zita wished she could go and find this garden with the cure for her friend but she knew that Julietta would miss her too much if she did. Queen Henrietta, fearing that she would lose her only child, was often seen crying. King Xavier on the other hand went out riding whenever he felt down, sometimes staying away for two or three days.

One day the King was riding in the forest close to the border of his country. Suddenly he saw somebody standing in the road, blocking his way. When he came nearer he saw it was a woman, a beautiful young woman. She was dressed in a deep green dress, covered with pearls like dewdrops; her hair was loose with here and there a strand of pearls woven into it. She reminded him of his daughter's playmate but he decided that was because of the dark hair and eyes of the woman. He found it strange that somebody dressed so richly would be standing in the middle of a forest and no carriage in sight.

"Good afternoon, King Xavier, I'm glad you're in time for our meeting."

"Who are you? What do you mean 'in time for our meeting? I'm sure I arranged for no meeting, and definitely not here."

"It was Fate who arranged our meeting, Majesty. My sisters and I live in the forests of Peratha. We have important news for you regarding your daughter."

"What do you know about my daughter?"

"We know about her illness and we know she can be helped. All she has to do is find the hidden garden."

"I've heard about as much as I can take about this garden. It is a myth, a fairy tale; it does not exist. And if it ever existed it's probably totally overgrown or dead. I'm not sending my sick child on a hunt for a mirage."

"The garden does exist, Majesty. It was created and hidden by magic and only the right person can enter. In the garden is a fountain with the statue of a young man; its water is life-giving and can cure your daughter's illness. Send Julietta and her friend on this quest. They will succeed and more than your daughter's health may be restored."

"Magic? I don't believe in magic. How can I risk my daughter's life on a quest for magic?"

"Can you do nothing and let her die, then? Take this," said the woman, and handed the king a small phial with a thick syrupy liquid. "It can't cure the Princess, but it will give her the strength she needs."

As soon as the King took the phial the strange woman disappeared. For a moment he thought he'd been dreaming in broad daylight or, even worse, hallucinating, but in his hand he held the proof of her existence.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Welcome to new follower, FluffyPyschic. Thank you to laurizzle for favouriting the story, and of course also to Jimli, Akora17 and Arista Everett June my faithful reviewers.**

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 9**

After meeting the strange woman, the King rode home as quickly as he could. He arrived at the palace early in the morning and immediately gave Princess Julietta a spoonful of the liquid. Within half an hour she felt better; she went out riding, ran and laughed with her friend Zita and looked as if she'd never been sick. The next morning however she was as ill as before, until the King gave her some more of the syrup.

Queen Henrietta asked her husband, "Where did you find this strange medicine? It makes Julietta better."

King Xavier told his wife about the woman he had met in the forest, the things she had said and her sudden disappearance.

"Perhaps we should do what she said, Xavier. The medicine helps only for a short time, but it might be enough for Julietta to find the garden. And with Zita to help her, I'm confident the girls will succeed."

"As you wish, Henrietta, I'll let them go, but quietly. I don't want anybody to know that my daughter is roaming the countryside in search of some garden that could very well be imaginary. Fortune-telling, magic, water that will cure my daughter … it all seems too unreal to me. I'll be asked to believe in fairies next."

As soon as the necessary equipment was ready the King told Zita that she was to go with Princess Julietta to find the water that would heal her.

"I don't even know where this garden is supposed to be, but you have to try and find it. The syrup in this phial will help my daughter, but when it is nearly finished and you haven't found the garden, I want you to turn back. I want Julietta safely back home before this drug is finished. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sire, I'll look after Princess Julietta and do what I can to help her."

The King suggested they start their search in the forest where he had encountered the strange woman who'd given him the medicine. He thought they might find a clue there and even went that far with them. The moment they entered the forest a fog appeared. It rose from the ground and seemed to come down from the treetops. The fog became so dense they could hardly see each other. It was impossible to find a trace of either the woman or the place she might have come from. For two days they wandered in the fog, finding they were going round in circles. The King was still with them. It seemed he wanted to accompany them on their search.

Finally Princess Julietta told him, "Father, I think it is better if you returned home. A king has to do his duty to his land, not follow his daughter in case something happens. Don't worry about me, Zita is here, and she'll make sure I'm all right. Anyway, I think Zita and I are supposed to find this garden on our own. If you turn back now, we'll be home before you know it."

The King eventually, after a lot of persuading, gave in and returned to his kingdom and his wife, even more worried than before that his daughter was off on a fool's errand.

ooOOoo

As soon as the king started on his way back the fog began to lift. Looking everywhere for the mysterious woman Julietta and Zita had entered Peratha. A couple of days more of walking and searching brought them to the edge of the forest. Below them in the valley, and as far as they could see was the land they had to search. It was an impossible task; they didn't even know where to begin.

"Let's go to one of the towns, Zita. Gardens are always near houses, aren't they?"

Zita shook her head.

"There's something … Do you remember that you asked me once how I knew so much about the forest and about plants? You said you didn't understand how I could tell if something was poisonous or not and I told you about the old lady who taught me, the one who lived in the woods behind aunt's house."

"Yes, I remember. I asked you if she was perhaps an ugly, old witch and you said she looked more like a friendly grandmother."

"She didn't only teach me about the forest. Sometimes she told me stories about fairies who are really powerful spirits of nature; and about wizards and kings and queens of olden times. She also told me about a secret garden, so secret that nobody knows where it is, except perhaps the fairies. Now, what else did she tell me about the garden?"

Julietta hardly dared breathe while her friend was trying to recall what she had been told.. Finally Zita said, "Yes, I remember. She said the garden is full of magic, blossom and fruit are hanging on trees at the same time. It's spring and summer and autumn all three together, but never winter. The garden is in the high and wild part of Peratha. There was also something about a curse, but I can't remember what it was, except that only certain people can enter. I'm afraid I didn't always listen carefully to the stories; I found it more interesting when she told me how to find food. But that must be the hidden garden we're looking for, a garden no one can go into, a garden nobody can find. "

"In the high and wild part of the country? Which high and wild part? There's lots of high and wild all around the valley."

Julietta and Zita tried to determine what could be the highest and wildest area in Peratha. Zita's eyes were drawn again and again to one of the farthest mountain ranges.

"Let's go there, to the forest on that mountain over there," she said. "I think we have to be there. It's the highest mountain and with those dark forests it looks wild as well. It feels … it somehow feels strange."

Julietta looked in the direction her friend was indicating; the North of the country, the highest part with snow-capped peaks and thick forests growing right up to the treeline. It looked dangerous, foreboding, uninviting. Could a garden be hidden among all those trees?

"It certainly looks high and wild," Julietta said with faltering voice. She mustered all her courage and decided to trust her friend. "You must be right. Let's go there."

Zita looked at the country that lay below them. They would have to get down to the valley, then walk across the mostly wooded country and finally climb up the slopes of the northern ridge. Not an easy journey and Zita hoped Julietta's medicine wouldn't be finished before they got there.

The girls looked and looked for the easiest place to go down towards the valley. On the Eburon side the mountain sloped gently down towards the plains. On the Peratha side they found only cliffs and steep drop-offs. It seemed that the only access to Peratha was via de Border Road, the road that linked the two countries and went through the canyon that cut the mountain range they were on neatly in two halves.

Zita thought of the time it would take to reach the road, go down the mountain on the Eburon side, walk through the canyon that would take them further south into Peratha, and then find their way to the extreme northeast of the country where she believed they would find the garden. Could Julietta do it with the one phial of medicine or would they have to turn back before they were even halfway? All she could do was remain positive, encourage her friend and help her where she could.

The girls started walking south towards the Border Road when Julietta suddenly noticed a path that seemed to go downwards into Peratha. She called Zita and said, "I may have found something here."

"Wait a moment, Julietta," Zita answered. "I'll go and have a look to see if it really goes down or whether it is just an access road to a meadow."

A few minutes later Julietta heard Zita call, "Come down, Julietta. This is it. This is a path into the county of Peratha."

Julietta quickly joined Zita and together they walked along the path that zigzagged in great, wide loops all the way down to the valley. There the path forked out in five different directions. Without hesitation Zita chose the middle one. They walked and walked for hours, seeing few habitations and no actual villages. When the sun started to set their goal didn't seem to be any closer. They spent the night in a small shed close to the path. Three days later their destination was still as distant and unattainable as ever. It was evening and no shelter could be seen, not even an animal shed. The only thing that could give some protection was a little copse off the road. Julietta and Zita decided to rest there. It was a warm evening, the scent of the flowers and the trees surrounding them made them drowsy and soon they were deep asleep.

Zita was the first to wake up. She heard the sound of running water nearby and was surprised as there hadn't been any the night before. When she walked out from among the trees she didn't recognize the area. She looked around and suddenly saw the mountain; it was a lot closer than the previous day.

"Why didn't we notice this last night?" said Zita.

"We were probably too tired last night to notice it, Zita. Surely we can't both have been sleepwalking here."

Zita shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose you're right."

Encouraged by the apparent distance they had already covered the girls continued their journey but a week later their goal seemed more beyond their reach than ever as Julietta's medicine was running out. The terrain had changed as well. The path was sloping steadily upward, even though they were still far away from their goal.

One day they reached the remotest port of Peratha. They spent the night in the house of a young farmer and his family. It was the first time since they set off on their journey that they slept in a real bed. In the morning they felt properly rested and ready to take on the wildest wilds of Peratha. The farmer's wife had given them some food to take on their journey.

While they were putting it in their backpacks she said, "Are you sure you want to continue? This is the last house, you know. Nobody lives beyond this point. The ground is too rocky there and the only creatures you will meet are goats. Beyond that are just woods and more woods. Nobody likes to go there. The woods are haunted … or something."

"Thank you for the information, but we have to continue. I have no choice, I can't return," said Julietta.

"And I'm going where Julietta is going. Thank you for the food but we have to be on our way now."

When the last things were packed away Julietta and Zita were ready to continue their search for the hidden garden.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: Welcome to new follower EverythingEver. My thanks as ever to Jimli for the review and to Arista Everett June for the review and for favouriting.  
**

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 10**

They left the last house of Peratha and soon they were walking through a desolate landscape of rocks, dry grass and stunted trees. The sun was mercilessly hot. The path was clearly visible but rocky and uneven. They made little progress that day. The night was coming on fast when the girls were trying to reach a clump of bushes in the distance. They were tired and hungry but they continued for the only shelter the area had to offer. When they reached it, it was nearly dark. They had the last of the food the farmer's wife had given them and soon they were sleeping. Next morning they woke up in lush woodland. Julietta's medicine bottle was full again and they had provisions for a couple of days. The distant mountain forest could not be seen but a clear path led upwards further into the wood.

"Somebody is helping us, Zita. I think we will find the garden and I will be healthy again."

"I think you're right Julietta, but we have to do our bit as well and go as far as we can during the day."

The girls followed the path that took them higher into the mountains. Sometimes they crossed large open spaces but towards the evening they didn't stop until they had found some shelter among the trees or in a thicket. While they were asleep, somehow they were moved and the next morning they woke up closer to their goal. A fortnight later they had reached the forest at the top of the mountain. The path apparently still went further but this forest was so gloomy and thick that Julietta was reluctant to continue. Zita encouraged her friend, "We have walked so far to get here and somebody helped us as well, somebody who obviously wants us to succeed or they would not have given you the medicine. Perhaps it's the lady in green who gave the medicine to your father, perhaps someone like her. If our path leads into that forest then we should go there."

"I'm afraid, Zita. It's so dark, how are we going to see our way through. We'll get lost."

Julietta was right, it was impossible to see more than a couple of metres along the path. Either side of the path, the forest was impenetrable. Zita wasn't too keen to enter either but their journey this far had led them here. The only way they could go was forward into the dark forest, along the narrow path. If they didn't go on, then everything they'd achieved so far would be wasted. Julietta's only chance of being healthy would be lost. They just had to continue.

"Come," said Zita with more confidence than she felt.

She entered the forest. Her friend quickly followed – she didn't want to be left behind.

It was quiet in the dark, dense wood. Not a bird could be heard. It was so very dark that sometimes they could hardly see the path. Five minutes later they couldn't see any path at all but Zita continued as if they were following a clear road instead of what looked like an animal trail. Julietta became tired; she was sure it was late already and still Zita didn't stop. Then they saw a light shining through the trees. As quickly as possible they went towards it and they saw a big circular clearing in the wood lit up by the full moon. In the centre stood the strangest temple imaginable, a circle of trees formed the pillars and the boughs of the trees intertwined to form the roof. The girls heard music and singing coming from the temple, but the structure looked totally empty. Then a young girl came out from between the trees. She went towards Julietta and Zita and welcomed them.

"You must be tired, but your journey nears its end. Come in, and eat and drink with us. We celebrate the first day of the first full moon of summer."

They thanked the girl and followed her into the temple. From the inside it looked even stranger. The trees could not be seen. Instead the whole temple was cut out of white marble. It had several rooms and was in fact a small palace instead of a mere temple. Ten more girls were waiting for them. All wore similar dresses in different colours, covered with pearls or precious stones and strands of them were woven into their hair. Julietta and Zita were taken to a room where warm baths were prepared for them and two dresses laid out. Dressed in the beautiful clothes and with their hair arranged with strings of gems they looked like sisters to the strange girls.

While they were sitting down for their meal, Zita asked, "Are you by any chance related to the beautiful lady who met the King and started us of on our search?"

The girl in the green dress who had invited them in said, "I am that lady."

"That's impossible," said Julietta, "my father said 'a mature woman, a lady', not 'a young girl'."

"We are all ages," said the girl, and changed into an older woman. "We are the spirits of nature, people call us the fairies, and we are ageless. My name is Orelia and I am the first, the oldest you would say."

"You've helped us to come this far, haven't you," said Zita. "Why are you helping us to reach the garden?"

"Because we are sure you two will find the entrance and break the spell that keeps it closed."

Zita had more questions. "Why don't you show us the entrance? And why is there a spell that keeps the garden closed?"

"We can only take you to the area where the garden can be found. You have to find the gate yourselves. And we can't tell you anything more about the spell. There is little we can do to help you."

Julietta had been looking around in the dining room. She was fascinated by the wall at the top end of the table. On it was a mosaic made of gems, depicting twelve daisy-like flowers, each of a different colour. In eleven of these the core was a pulsating light, like a heartbeat; the twelfth was dark and its colour looked dull and lifeless.

"One of the flowers on the wall is broken," she said. "The light doesn't work anymore."

"It's not really broken," one of the girls explained. "Once there were twelve of us, but Kalanta fell in love with a human. That in itself is not a problem; we are allowed to love and we're even allowed to share the life of the man we love and bear him children. But the moment we marry our lover, we become mortal even if our lifespan is far greater than that of ordinary people. Kalanta sacrificed her immortality when she married the man she loved. She died a long time ago now, and she had no female descendant who might have taken her place. That is why the light has gone out in the twelfth flower."

"Oh, what a sad story."

"It is sad, far sadder than you realise, Princess Julietta" Orelia said.

"What happened then?"

"We can't tell you, not now at any rate. And the moment we can, it won't be necessary. But come, it is late. I'll show you your beds."

The next day Julietta and Zita slept until it was just about midday. A meal was set out for the two of them. The fairies weren't there and it was late when they returned to their temple-home and soon it was time for bed yet again.

The same thing happened day after day until finally Zita asked, "When will you take us to where the garden can be found? We've been here for days now. It is becoming boring to just sit here all day."

"If you think you are ready, we'll show you tomorrow."

"I think we're as ready as we're going to be, since we don't know which way the garden opens or what we will find inside."

"Julietta, are you ready to go?" Orelia asked.

"Yes," said Julietta. "We've waited long enough."

The next morning they started early. Five of the fairies walked in front of Zita and Julietta, six followed them. They continued along the same path the girls had been following the day they had come upon the temple. Like Zita they seemed to find a path where Julietta couldn't see any. The track went steadily higher. Although it was daytime, the dense forest made it more like dusk. After a quick lunch huddled together in a small clearing, they continued. The path had become steeper and the roots of the trees made the walk even more difficult. Some hours later they came out of the forest. In front of them was a bowl-shaped meadow – an area big enough for a town. It was bordered all around by impenetrable woods, as dark and forbidding as the one they had just left.

"Somewhere down there is the entrance to the hidden garden," said Orelia. "From here on you are on your own. Unless you find the garden you won't see us anymore. Julietta, you have to choose whether you will continue with the quest or not. We will give you enough medicine to search for a week and return home if you can't locate the entrance. This means that if you fail, you will never be cured and we won't be able to give you any more of the medication that kept you going so far."

"Why?" Zita had been none too keen on all the mystery and secrecy. And now they were telling Julietta that she wouldn't get anymore medicine if she didn't find the garden. "Why can't you give Julietta more of that medicine if we fail to find the entrance to the garden?"

"It is not out of malice, Zita. We made the medicine with the last we had of the healing water. Even we can't get into the garden. It is closed to us as it is to everyone."

Then Orelia turned to Julietta again. "If you decide now that you can't do this and that you want to go home, we will escort you there. With our help you'll be home in a week. We will also provide you with a medicine, not as strong as the one you have now, but it will ease the pain and difficulties of your illness somewhat. For some time at least but only the water in the garden can heal you. Are you still willing to continue?"

"Yes," said Julietta, "I want to be healthy. I'll do whatever it takes. We will find the garden, won't we Zita."

"Yes, Julietta, we will," was Zita's answer, although privately she wondered how they could find an invisible entrance in an area this big.

"Good! We wish you all the best for your search. The only thing you have to do if you find the entrance, is to go straight for the fountain and drink from its water. It will heal you instantly. You can't miss it. It's in a small temple-like structure. In the middle of the temple is the statue of a young man. Remember, you have only a week to find it."

The girls had just enough time to thank the fairies and then they were on their own.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: ****Many thanks to Akora17, ********Jimli, ********and Arista Everett June . Nothing is as encouraging as your continued support and ********reviews.**

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 11**

Julietta and Zita started looking immediately for the way into the magical garden. It was quite dark when they stopped. Early in the morning – the sun had barely begun to colour the sky – they continued. Julietta was full of hope, expecting to find the hidden entrance within two days at most, but the search went on without success. Despite their best efforts the last day of the week arrived and they were no nearer to finding the garden. Julietta became very quiet as the day progressed.

In the evening when they stopped looking she said to Zita, "I know that we are supposed to start for home tomorrow, but I want to continue looking. We have another week before my medication runs out completely. That's what the fairies said, wasn't it, that there was enough to get me home in a week?"

"But, Julietta, do you realise-"

"I know what you want to say. Yes, I do realise that I won't be able to return to my parents, but this is my only chance to be cured, and I want to continue searching until I fall down if necessary."

So they continued looking and when the medicine was finished they still went on searching. Julietta tired very easily now. While her friend was resting, Zita kept going, frantically trying to find the way into something that she couldn't even see.

Then one morning, Julietta didn't even have the energy to get up. Zita tried to be cheerful when she left her friend but her eyes were filling up with tears. Suddenly she saw something shimmering, a wall. She ran towards it but it disappeared. Now she cried with frustration.

"Show yourself, you stupid thing!"

There it was, at first a mere mirage, steadily becoming more solid until finally Zita could touch the wall. And there was the entrance, only a few feet away. As fast as she could Zita went back to Julietta, who was still lying down. Apparently she hadn't noticed that the garden had materialized.

"Come, Julietta, come, get up. I have found the garden."

Julietta did not react; it was as if she was no longer aware of the world around her. Zita lifted her up, put Julietta's arm around her neck, and half dragged, half carried her to the entrance to the garden. The garden gate opened when the girls stood in front of it and as soon as they were inside it closed again.

Zita looked around. It was a vast and beautiful garden, but she was only interested in the fountain with the healing water. Still holding Julietta, she started walking down the path that led from the gate. As she turned the first corner, she saw the temple. It had been hidden by some trees. The structure looked like a stone miniature of the fairies' home. The pillars were carved to resemble tree trunks and the roof was made of intertwining stone branches and leaves.

As she came closer Zita could hear running water. A gust of wind blew and carried with it a few drops of the water. It fell on the girls. Zita felt how the water removed all weariness and sadness. Julietta started walking – more like sleepwalking – towards the temple. Someone was inside. When the girls entered they saw it was the statue of a young man, just like the fairies had told them. The sculpture stood on a dais, half hidden by a curtain of water that fell all around it from the ceiling. The platform stood in the middle of a basin that collected the water but never overflowed. Julietta fell down and stared at the statue. She didn't drink the water for which she had come so far. Zita stooped down, filled her hands with the water and made Julietta drink again and again, until she heard a voice whisper "Enough!" Julietta still didn't move. She just sat there, looking up at the statue. To Zita's immense relief and joy, however, she no longer looked ill. A healthy glow was on her cheeks, and her hair, instead of being limp, hung again in ringlets round her face.

While her friend sat there staring at the stone figure, Zita decided to look around the garden. It was magnificent, and gloriously perfect, as if an army of gardeners had only just left. She followed the path down to the centre of the garden. Next to a lake stood a white house with a little turret, all overgrown with ivy and roses. From the terrace in front of the house, Zita looked out over the garden. It suddenly dawned on her why the garden felt so strange; everything was in bloom. Snowdrops and roses, daffodils and dahlias, flowers of every season where showing their best at the same time. She wanted to see this strange abundance and walked up to the top of the bowl-shaped garden again. When Zita came to an orchard, she saw the trees and bushes had blossoms _and_ fruits on them. She went further and further away from the entrance. When she came to the rim of the bowl, opposite the entrance she found another garden there. Here she saw patches with dense bushes in a wilder kind of garden. Toward the far end the garden became really dark, resembling the fairies' forest. In a little dell she found a well next to a grotto. Zita went inside, drawn in by a desire to see what the cave was like. There, sleeping on a bed of leaves was a beast, the most terrifying thing she had ever seen. She managed to stifle a scream and looked more closely at the sleeping creature. With the first shock gone the thing didn't look quite so terrible but when it stirred Zita quickly left the beast's lair and the dell. Her aimless wandering around this wilder part of the garden meant that she had some trouble finding her way out of the forested area now. The increasing darkness didn't help her. She had just found the path to the house again when she heard something in the bushes. A quick glance over her shoulders showed her that someone was following her. She started running towards the light, towards the house and safety. Surely it was the beast that was following her and looking at a sleeping animal was one thing, but she didn't fancy seeing it wide awake and probably hungry.

As Zita came out from among the trees it was dark already but the pathway to the house was lit up. Surrounded by light she felt safe, so she stopped and looked around, secure that the creature would not follow her. Something came out of the wood.

_No, someone, a man, a young man, a good-looking young man,_ Zita thought.

As soon as he spotted Zita the man came running.

"How did you come into the garden?" he asked.

"Through the gate," said Zita.

"Impossible the gate is locked. Besides, the garden is hidden by magic."

"I told it to show itself and it did. Then the gate appeared and it opened. That's how we got in."

"You TOLD it? Are you a witch or a fairy?"

"Of course not, I'm Julietta's friend."

"Who's Julietta? No, don't answer that. There will only be more questions and they can wait. Come, I'm hungry and the evening meal will be ready."

He took Zita by the hand and ran with her toward the white house.

At the exact moment that the last ray of the sun touched the temple, the water inside stopped falling and the statue stepped from the platform and across the gully that surrounded it. Julietta got up. She stood face to face with the man of stone. Then she kissed him and as her lips met his, she realised he was a man of flesh and blood. She started and pulled back. For some time – a few second or a whole eternity, they couldn't tell – they just looked at each other. Then the man put his arm around Julietta and led her out of the temple. They didn't talk but, holding each other closely, they too went to the white house near the lake.

Inside the residence a table was set for four. The food on it looked mouth-watering and as the four young people were hungry they sat down and ate in silence. Afterwards they went to a comfortable sitting area where they could relax and talk. Zita and Julietta told the story of Julietta's illness and their search for the enchanted garden with the magical cure and in turn learned about the curse that had imprisoned Artus and Carl. Of course the girls asked if and how the curse could be broken.

"My bride will break the curse," Artus said. "Because of her love for me, she'll accept to be a beast with me until the curse is broken. That's what I have been told but so far no princess has arrived."

"If the girls who came to your mother's call are anything to go by, you'll have to wait even longer. They wanted to be queen but not if they had to share your fate. They knew your bride would break the curse but none were willing. Instead they accosted me," Carl said, disgust in his voice.

"Don't say that, Carl. I have to keep believing or I have nothing to live for."

Zita felt sorry for Artus. He was waiting for this unknown bride, a girl someone else had picked for him, and he would have to accept her, so the curse could be broken.

She thought that his friend had more luck. Carl and Julietta were so comfortable together. They reminded her of the kind of old friends who, seeing each other after a long absence, immediately get into their old ways as if they last met the previous day. Zita soon became convinced that Julietta and Carl had fallen in love at first sight. She wouldn't be needed for very much longer.

Shortly before midnight, a bright light was streaming through the window. In came the fairies, filling the hall with the strange light. Orelia went straight to Carl.

"Prince Carl, it is time for you to go. You are no longer bound by your promise. You have been freed. Because of your love for Princess Julietta, the garden cannot hold you any longer. But you and the girls must leave now."

"What about Artus? He's coming with us, isn't he?" Carl queried.

"I am sorry, but the curse has not been removed from Prince Artus. He has to stay. Come now, you three have to be gone before midnight."

"Artus can't stay here all alone," protested Carl. "That was never the agreement."

"I'll stay," said Zita quietly. "Julietta no longer needs me, especially with Prince Carl to accompany her home, so I might as well stay."

Orelia looked closely at Zita, as if she was studying a strange specimen.

"You have to know this, Zita. If you stay, you will change into a beast, just like Artus. Only there won't be any changes in the evening. When Carl is gone – and go he must – Artus is doomed to be the creature night and day – and you with him if you stay. Only when Artus' curse is lifted will you be yourself again."

"I'm still staying."

Meanwhile Carl and Julietta had been talking together. Some quick words had been exchanged and now Carl said to Orelia, "We are staying as well. Curse or no curse, I am not leaving my friend and Julietta refuses to leave hers. Besides, we two want to be together; I am staying so she is staying."

Orelia tried to dissuade Carl and Julietta, warning them that there was no protection for them, now that Artus would remain an animal. She told them of the danger; with Zita becoming a beast as well, there would be two creatures prowling the garden and they were bound to see Carl and Julietta as prey. Nothing Orelia said however could deter them. Carl and Julietta would remain as well.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Thanks to Jimli, Akora17, and J Luc Pitard for their review.**

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 12**

The fairies left and barely had they gone when a clock struck midnight. The noise was so loud that the four people left in the garden had to cover their ears. The strange thing was that Artus and Carl didn't know where it came from. It was the first time ever that time was measured in the garden in any way. All the time they had been in the garden, the sun had come up and had gone down, always at the same time. And as daytime was never shorter or longer than twelve hours and night-time was always the same length as well, the days did not measure the year. With everything in the garden flowering or blossoming and bearing fruit at the same time, it was as if spring and autumn equinox were the same day and that day was repeated over and over again.

Nothing else happened though, so the strange occurrence was soon forgotten. Artus kept on telling his friend that he should go; that it would be safer; that he should take both girls with him.

"I'm not at all sure what I would do to another creature with me in the garden. I might very well injure or even kill all three of you."

"Shut up already, Artus. We're not going and that's that. Besides, with the fairies gone we'll have to stay anyway. So don't spoil this night with nagging us."

Carl did his best to be cheerful, telling the girls about all the tricks he and Artus had played on unsuspecting courtiers and teachers. For a while the mood did become lighter, they laughed and joked but the realisation that at break of dawn Artus would still be cursed dampened their spirits. They withdrew in their own private thoughts.

Carl and Julietta had but one thought; the love that had overpowered them. Like an avalanche it had swept them along. They felt as if they'd known each other all their lives and even longer; as if their lives up till then had only been leading to the moment of their meeting.

Artus was wondering about the long days as a beast. How long would it last? Would he lose the person he was? Would he become so totally a beast that there was no way back? He wasn't happy that Carl and the two girls had decided to stay. He worried that he might hurt them.

Zita did not worry about changing into some kind of beast. She was not afraid that she would forget what being human felt like. Something in the peaceful atmosphere of the garden seemed to preclude violence of any kind. She just knew that Artus would not harm her, and was equally sure neither she nor Artus would harm Carl and Julietta.

When the sky turned lighter, Artus got up and voiced his fears.

"I'm going now. I don't want to be here when I change into the beast. Be careful when you see me, Carl. Up to now, I have always been able to control the animal inside me and our nightly meetings have helped me in this. Without these hours of being human I fear I will become entirely animal; I fear I will lose myself."

Then he left and Zita quietly followed him, just as she had promised.

Carl and Julietta remained alone in the house. They wondered about staying there, but none of the doors could be locked. Anyone, anything, could come in easily. Carl felt the temple where he had spent so many days as a statue kept playing on his mind, as if it was calling to him. He decided to follow his feelings.

"Come, let's go to my fountain. My sixth sense is telling me the water there will protect us," he said, half mocking, half serious.

They walked to the little temple and stepped on the platform.

"I am afraid, Carl." Julietta was nearly crying.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here," said Carl and put his arms around her.

At that moment the first ray of sunlight struck the temple, the curtain of water started flowing, and on the dais stood a statue of two people in a loving embrace.

Meanwhile two strange looking animals arrived at the little dell with the grotto. They entered and went to sleep. The garden lay undisturbed in the sunshine all day, quiet as always. When the shadows in the dell merged with the darkness of the coming night, the creatures came out of the grotto, drank from the well next to it, and left to prowl among the trees. It was fully dark when Artus and Zita emerged from the miniature wilderness. When they realised that they had indeed become human and this was not a dream, they ran to the white house where Carl and Julietta were waiting.

"We've become human again!" cried Artus.

"We were statues all day," said Carl. "It seems that it is business as usual, my friend. You won't lose yourself in the beast after all. Whatever the cause, the magic of the garden still protects us."

ooOOoo

Life in the magic garden continued as if nothing had happened except that four instead of two people were wrapped up in its magic. Day after day Artus and Zita turned into beasts and Carl and Julietta became statues. Night after night the four young people changed back to their human form.

They spent the time from dusk to dawn mainly together but the arrival of the girls had changed something. They had all their meals together, laughing and talking but as the love between Carl and Julietta grew stronger, they, like all lovers, liked to spend time together, just the two of them. Artus and Zita were aware of this. They would leave the house for a stroll in the garden or would take a little boat out on the lake near the house. Sometimes the lovers would leave them the house, preferring a stroll in the constant moonlight. They valued this time together to learn about each other, to talk about the future though nobody could have told them when that future would actually happen.

Because they spent so much time together when Carl and Julietta were enjoying their young love, Artus and Zita learned a lot about each other. More than they would have done if they'd met at some royal ball. They agreed on a lot of things but could equally have heated discussions when their opinions differed. The subject could be anything, though mostly it concerned books and music.

From certain things Zita said, Artus deduced that a lot of time had passed since he and Carl had entered the garden. He wanted to know how much.

He asked Zita, "How is Queen Kalanta of Peratha? Is my mother well?"

The look in the girl's eyes told him everything before she even said, "I'm so very, very sorry. Queen Kalanta died … so very long ago."

The death of his mother wasn't a total shock to Artus. Somehow he had known the day he had said goodbye to her that it would be goodbye forever. It didn't make the pain any less for him even though in a way he'd mourned her already.

What _did_ surprise him was the fact that Zita said Kalanta had died long ago.

"Long ago? We haven't been in the garden that long. How long is long ago?"

Zita had difficulties thinking how many years ago Queen Kalanta had died.

"Not … not in my memory," she said, unable to come up with a more accurate answer.

"Who's in charge in Peratha now if the queen has died and I am here."

"The regent, Bernard du Montagne. At least I can remember that."

"And the wizard? Is he still at the court?"

"The wizard left in … in … a long time ago," Zita finished lamely, annoyed that she couldn't recall the year in which the wizard had left Peratha either.

Artus knew Zita was not a simpleton. Perhaps being from Eburon she hadn't been taught Perathian history. He decided he might get a better answer on the history of Eburon.

"Zita, didn't you say that Julietta is the crown princess of Eburon?"

"Yes, she is," Zita answered, wondering what Artus really wanted to know.

"How is her father related to King Gustav, Carl's father?"

Zita realised all of a sudden why Artus was asking so many questions.

"Are you trying to work out how long you've been here?" she asked.

"Yes, and I may get an idea via the royal line of Eburon."

She could understand. She started to name the kings and queens that followed King Gustav, starting with Carl's brother, also called Gustav.

"After King Gustav came his son Gustav II, then _his_ son Gustav III. That Gustav was followed by his daughter Queen Annafriede … or was it Queen Berta who followed Gustav III … No Berta followed Gustav V. Who followed Gustav III then?"

Zita could not name the kings and queens of Eburon, something she'd never had problems with.

"It's as if my brain gets all muddled," she told Artus. "I can't even remember the dates of their reign. We'll have to ask Julietta."

"Don't worry about it," Artus said, seeing the girl was agitated.

Artus had been living in the strange, timeless garden for … he'd forgotten how long … a very long time. An idea had come to him.

"When were you born, Zita?" he asked.

"The third of Sunmaan," she answered, wondering why he'd changed the subject.

"I meant in what year."

"Oh! I was born in … in … I'm nineteen years old and this year is … is …"

Zita's eyes opened wide in shock.

"I can't remember the year I was born in, or what year it is now."

"It's the garden. There is no time in the garden. You were born today, I was born today, we have lived our lives today and everything else happened _a long time ago_ as you put it."

To prove he was right he questioned Julietta in the same way when she and Carl joined them.

She couldn't remember anything either. Time was as dead for Zita and Julietta as it had been for Artus and Carl since their first night in the garden.

Carl, always more optimistic than Artus, had never considered the possibility that they would be in the garden for more than just a few years. It came as a shock to him that generation after generation of his family had come and gone. Even though he had called Kalanta 'mother' and saw Artus as his brother, he felt the loss of his family. He'd always been the odd one out among his siblings, the unwanted prince. His older brother had been nearly an adult when Carl was born, and his sisters had just been a gaggle of giggling geese to him, but to hear that they were all long gone was more painful than he had thought possible.

The realisation of Kalanta's death was hard on him as well. He mourned for her, for his parents, and for his brother and sisters. Julietta was there to listen if he wanted to talk, or to sit with him quietly when he needed silence.

What Julietta's presence did for Carl, Zita did for Artus, and the magic of the garden did the rest. It eased the pain, and brought peace to the mind until the memories no longer hurt but brought pleasure.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Thank you Jimli, Akora17, and Arista Everett June for the reviews. **

**This chapter is a bit shorter but it reached a nice cut off point. **

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 13**

Not long – or perhaps very long – after the girls had entered the garden Carl and Julietta announced their intention to get married as soon as they could leave the garden.

"I told you to get out when the fairies came," Artus said. "Who knows how long you'll still have to wait now."

"Only until the end of this day," Carl quipped. "It won't last forever."

"Won't it?" Artus asked.

He was waiting more impatiently than before for the girl whose love would set him free. He talked about it to Zita.

"I have the feeling that my life is decided by others since the day I became a beast. This garden was built for me and filled with magic and hidden by magic. Nobody asked me if I wanted it. Carl decide – twice – to share this life with me without consulting me. You did the same. I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but I feel so helpless, taking all your friendship while I can't give anything in return. Worse still I can't do anything to end this curse quicker. I can only sit back and wait."

"Don't you realise that we get _your _friendship in return? I know what you mean to Carl. He makes that abundantly clear every time he talks about you, your mother and your life together. You're not just his friend. He's very light-hearted about it but he sees you as the person who saved him from terrible loneliness. He loved his parents and siblings but you and your mother were his family. For him staying here was not giving up his life. It was sharing the fate of his brother."

"And why did you stay? You didn't know me and you decided you would take Carl's place. Why?"

"So that Carl would be free to go away with Julietta. She is to me what you are to Carl. She's my only family. What my life would have been without her I do not know. I don't want to think about it either," Zita said.

"If only this mystery bride arrived soon. At this point I would take a dog-faced woman just so Carl and Julietta can start their life together. I can hardly wait for the day that gate opens to let her in."

Zita feared that day and hoped it would never come. She'd been troubled by her feelings for Artus. She had liked him from the moment they had met. Not long after she had feared she might lose her heart to him. This could not be. She was a girl without a name, without parents. For the first time in her life Zita had regretted that she was a nobody, merely the trusted servant of Princess Julietta, even though she was treated like an equal.

Eventually she had to acknowledge that what she felt for Artus was not friendship but love. She would do anything for him, wanted nothing for herself and in the end fervently hoped that his bride would arrive so he could be set free.

Artus too thought often about the girl who would break his curse. When would she come, what would she look like? But another girl occupied his thoughts even more, Zita.

Because Carl and Julietta had gone off on their own, Artus had spent a lot of time with Zita. The better he got to know her, the more he enjoyed her presence. He thought about the day his bride would arrive. He knew he'd have to marry this girl if he wanted to be free. After that Carl would marry Julietta. And Zita? She'd said that Julietta wouldn't need her anymore. Would she just go? Or would Julietta find her a husband? Some Lord who needed a wife, perhaps? But how could a man who didn't know Zita appreciate her like he, Artus, did. He felt a stab of jealousy at the thought that another man might marry her, one who didn't love her. Artus felt sick. He'd have to marry some girl he didn't know while he really wanted Zita. Yes, he loved Zita.

And hadn't Zita done what this mysterious bride was supposed to do? Of her own free will, she had stayed in the garden and had become a beast with him. She didn't expect anything in return, hadn't even insisted on marrying him, which was even more amazing to Artus.

From then on he looked at Zita differently. Was she the one who would save him? If magic really stuck to its rules then the girl who'd spent a year sharing his curse would break it. That girl was Zita, without a shadow of a doubt. Could she be his wife? Sure, she called herself a servant to the Princess, but Julietta treated her like a friend, a sister even. If Zita hadn't told him the truth, he would never have guessed. In everything she said and did, she looked as much a princess as Julietta.

The more he got to know Zita, the more Artus was convinced she would make a good wife. She was friendly, intelligent, courageous, a true friend and to top it all she was a real beauty – more beautiful than the Princess in his opinion, though Carl disagreed.

Soon he didn't care about the woman who might be sent to save him. He had made his choice. His heart had made a choice. The fairies, who were apparently running his life, could send the most beautiful woman on earth, he would send her right back.

One night Artus stopped Zita on the way to the house near the lake and asked her to be his wife.

"I can't and you know I can't," she answered. "I'm not a princess, nor am I a countess or even the daughter of a Knight. I'm an ordinary girl, a servant to Princess Julietta."

"I don't want a princess, or any other girl for that matter. I want you, Zita."

Then Zita said to him, "I have no family, no father and no mother."

She told him what her aunt had said about her grandmother and her mother, and added, "I can't be your wife. However broadminded you are, I'm sure it is not wise for a king to marry a bastard. What would you say if somebody made the remark that your wife is the fine descendant of a load of sluts?"

"Nobody would dare say that!"

"Perhaps not, but they would think it and show it ever so subtly by treating me a little less respectfully than is due to your wife."

Zita could not be convinced, so Artus asked for the support of Carl and Julietta.

As soon as he arrived at the house he told them, "I've asked Zita to be my wife-"

"That's wonderful!" Julietta interrupted him.

And Carl added, "Congratulations to the both of you."

"It's not that simple," Artus continued. "Zita refused me."

Carl and Julietta looked at Zita in total disbelief.

"But Zita, you love him!" Julietta cried out. "Anyone can see that from the way you look at Artus."

"You and Artus are just perfect for each other," was Carl's opinion.

Artus explained, "Zita thinks that she can't be my wife because she's not a princess or the daughter of a nobleman."

"As if that would be a problem. More than half the girls that came to mother's call were servants and she would have welcomed any girl that agreed to break your curse with open arms."

"See," Artus said to Zita. "There's no reason to say 'No'."

"Absolutely none. It's a great idea for Artus to marry you, Zita. It is rare enough that a future king or queen can marry for love," Carl said and Julietta agreed.

Then Artus went down on one knee and asked Zita again, "Zita, would you be my wife? Please, accept me, accept my heart. I cannot and do not want to live without you."

Zita accepted. It had been difficult enough to say 'No', but with her three friends as well as her own heart urging her to say 'Yes', it was a foregone conclusion. She did add one condition.

"If anyone decides that I am not a suitable match for you, then you'll have to let me go and choose a worthier wife. Promise me."

Artus promised, determined to make sure that nobody would question his choice.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Many thanks to faithful reviewers Jimli and Akora17. Also thanks to Paradox Predator for favouriting this story.  
It's another short chapter but as compensation I'll do my best to have the last chapter up this weekend.  
**

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 14**

Time did not exist in the garden; there were no seasons, nothing to measure the passing of the year. From the day Artus and Carl had first entered the garden, they had tried to mark off the days but whatever they'd marked, however they'd marked it, the next day the mark had been gone. They had no idea how long they'd been in the garden, nor how long ago Julietta and Zita had joined them. How many months had passed since then? There was no way of knowing. There were days it seemed like they had all been in the garden forever and others when they felt they had only just arrived.

One day, when the sun stood high in the sky, the statues on the platform turned back into Carl and Julietta. They stood there, surrounded by a curtain of water no longer made of stone. Why had they been they turned back before nightfall? Was it because Carl could no longer share Artus' curse? If so, why? And what had happened to Artus and Zita? Were they still beasts? Would it be safe to try and find them?

Carl and Julietta decided to go to the house. They stepped off the dais, through the curtain of water, fully expecting to be soaking wet. To their surprise they were dry. They couldn't even find the trace of a drop of water on their clothes.

"This is really strange," was Carl's opinion. "Let's quickly go to the house and see if we can find an answer there."

Just as they reached the terrace, they heard a shout. Artus and Zita came running down the hill. Their curse seemed to have been broken as well. Then for the second time they heard a clock strike twelve. The same ear-splitting, booming sound rumbled across the garden. As soon as the noise had died down, Orelia appeared. On seeing the four friends her face lit up with a smile.

"You've made it! You've broken the curse! We were afraid when Carl and Julietta decided to stay. We didn't know what would happen, but the Wizard showed us. Apparently he'd made sure that the garden's magic would allow him an occasional look inside. Somewhat devious, but it was done so Kalanta could see her sons; it was a kindness to the woman he'd inadvertently hurt."

Then she asked them, "What happened after we left that day Julietta and Zita arrived."

They explained how the magic of the garden had continued to protect them once the fairies had left and the clock had struck twelve at midnight. How they had still changed twice-daily, at dawn and dusk as before, the only difference being that the girls had shared that fate. That now, for the first time, they had changed back at midday and the clock struck twelve again.

"I should have known that your strong friendship could influence the enchantment of the garden. Magic has many rules that those who wield it have to obey, but it also has its own laws that we can't control or even influence."

"Was it one of those unwritten laws that kept the original agreement going and turned Julietta and me into statues?"

"Precisely. Magic's laws are always accommodating to those who are willing to make a sacrifice for a loved one. And Kalanta, who once was a fairy and my sister, must have unwittingly put all her love for her sons here, for you as much as for Artus. The day the garden was created and the air was full of magic, she walked around looking at and touching everything. All Kalanta's love and hope became part of this place and its magic. Small wonder that the garden reacted favourably to all who shared her feelings. Today I was summoned here by the striking of the clock. Zita, you have spent a whole year with Artus, being a beast when he was. You have broken his curse, and love has grown between him and you."

Slowly they started to realise that they were free now; free from the curse, free from the garden. Thoughts of the world beyond came back to them. Julietta wanted to know how her parents were and feared they had been worried about her. She, as well as Zita, Artus and Carl, wondered how much time had really passed.

Orelia explained, "The garden does not know time. It has days and nights, but they can't be counted. You might have a perception of days passing, but you can't be sure how many days, months or years you were here. Am I right?"

"We couldn't even discover how much time had passed when Zita and Julietta arrived," said Artus. "They couldn't even remember their year of birth, much less how many kings and queens had ruled Eburon. Nor could they remember when the wizard had left the country. They only knew a regent represented me in Peratha, a Bernard du Montagne."

Orelia continued, "It has been hundreds of years since your parents ruled their countries. Carl, you are the last of your line but your marriage to Julietta will one day make you king of your father's country. Artus, you became king on the day your mother died. Your country has been in the care of a regent, the wizard who innocently caused all this trouble, and he has created a myth that will make your ascent to the throne easy. "

Julietta cried out, "How long have _we_ been here? My parents will have missed us!"

But the fairy said, "Don't worry Julietta. The moment you and Zita entered the garden, its days aligned with time outside the garden. It _has_ been only a year. Your parents were worried of course, but I personally assured them you were safe. It has been a long year for them but at least, thanks to the wizard, I could prevent them from becoming really anxious. You'll soon see them again now."

Then she turned back to Artus.

"Artus, I advise you to go to your neighbour's castle and return to your country from there with all possible ceremony. My sister Athera will notify King Xavier and Queen Henrietta of your arrival while we travel to Eburon. She will ask King Xavier to send a courier to Peratha and make your arrival official. I'll inform Quirinius, the wizard, to prepare everything for the festive reinstatement of the true king of Peratha."

Artus saw this was a sensible suggestion and agreed with Oralia's plan. Finally Artus, Zita, Julietta and Carl walked through the gates of the enchanted garden back into reality.


	15. Chapter 15

******Author's Note: A big thank you to Jimli and Paradox Predator who were very quick in reviewing chapter 14 yesterday. **

******Here is the final chapter of ... **

* * *

**THE WIZARD'S PRICE**

**CHAPTER 15**

With the help of the fairies it took them only two days to reach the castle of King Xavier and Queen Henrietta. The King and Queen were overjoyed to see their daughter again, healthy and more beautiful than ever. Julietta introduced Carl as her fiancée. Seeing their daughter's happiness the King and Queen accepted him wholeheartedly, even before they knew his ancestry.

When Athera introduced Artus to them, they agreed with the plan to make his entry into his country a real occasion. A special courier was sent to inform the regent of the day of King Artus' return. The man came back with the request to postpone the return for a month so it could coincide with Peratha Day.

The people of Peratha all knew the story of the Lost King who would come back one day. It was part of their education. It was part of the celebrations of Peratha Day. Every year on this special holiday, at ten o'clock in the morning the regent would go to King Ludovick's statue where the King's sword was stuck up to its hilt in the stone.

There he would say, "People of Peratha, I am your regent, most recent in a line of regents going all the way back to the day that Queen Kalanta appointed the wizard to reign in the absence of your true king, her son Artus, who is suffering a terrible fate. We will not forget King Artus."

And the people would repeat, "We will not forget King Artus."

For most people it was a bit of folklore, something their forefathers had done. Most only came if the weather was nice, but at least the Lost King lived on in their minds. If this king came back to his people on Peratha Day, they would accept him immediately. That was the regent's opinion and King Xavier agreed.

A few more messages went back and forth between Eburon and Peratha to make sure everything was organised to perfection.

When the time had come a stately procession left the castle. They journeyed leisurely to the capital of Artus' country. King Xavier and Queen Henrietta with Julietta and Zita sat in an open coach richly furnished with silk cushions and covers. Artus and Carl rode either side of the coach and looked admiringly at the girls. They had never seen Zita and Julietta dressed up for a special occasion. The admiring looks went both ways. Carl and Artus looked more like kings than ever before.

In Peratha the wizard, in his guise of regent, had gone to the main square where King Ludovick's statue stood as usual. Instead of giving his speech though, he had stood next to the King's sword, waiting. The people present didn't know what was happening.

Someone whispered to his neighbour, "Do you think he's waiting for the Lost King? Is he perhaps coming back today?"

The question became a rumour that started spreading like a wildfire. More and more people arrived to see the mysterious King. When the regent's wife and the courtiers, as well as Orelia and her sisters arrived rumours became certainty. The square filled up with people. All around every balcony had as many people on it as it could hold and every upper window in every house was open with more people looking out.

At exactly eleven o'clock on Peratha Day, the coach from Eburon, preceded by Artus and Carl arrived in the Main Square of the capital. Artus and Carl dismounted; the royal family descended from the coach, which was sent on to the palace together with the horses.

The regent went to Prince Artus and welcomed him and his company to the kingdom. Then he addressed the assembled crowd.

"People of Peratha, for many years I have been your regent as have others before me, all the way back to the day that Queen Kalanta appointed the wizard to reign in the absence of your true king, her son Artus, who was suffering a terrible fate. From that distant past he has come back, delivered from the dreadful curse that was put on him, to claim his father's sword and with it his throne and country. King Artus, take what is yours."

At this Artus grabbed the sword and not a sound was heard despite all the people who were there. They were primed to see the Lost King return, ready to accept him without question, if indeed he could claim King Ludovick's sword as his. It was as if the whole country held its breath.

Then slowly Artus pulled the sword out of the stone as easy as if it had been in his scabbard. He held it up high to show it to the people standing in the square and looking out of the houses around it. The silence held for a few more seconds then the square erupted in cheers, "Hooray for King Artus! Hooray for our King! Our true King is back! Hooray, Hooray!"

While the cheering went on and on, Artus grabbed Zita's hand and side by side they walked to the palace, followed by the rest of the company. In the large audience room were his advisors and a few courtiers. In some Artus saw family resemblances to the counsellors of his mother. He realised with a shock that the distant ancestors of these people had known him personally and had been there when he had been changed into a beast. He felt a kind of tension in the atmosphere of the room. What did they think? Would _they _accept him like the people had done? He ignored the knot in his stomach. He was king now. This was what he was raised to do.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, I bring you my father's sword as token of my identity. With this I claim my kingdom and my throne. I know that you and your forefathers before you have been faithful to Peratha and its regents all this time. I count on it that you will show the same loyalty to me, your lawful king."

The ladies curtseyed and the men, including the Regent, bowed. Artus expected them to rise quickly as had been custom but they didn't.

"I remember our court was never stuck in a straightjacket of rules and regulations. So let's not start now," he said. "Please, rise. It must be uncomfortable to stand like that for so long."

At these words the tension left the room. Everyone stood up and started hailing the new king. When the cheering had subsided Artus took Zita by the hand and said, "This is my bride, Zita, your future queen."

Everyone in the room congratulated the King and his bride. Queen Henrietta was moved to tears that her daughter's best friend, her foster child, had made such a good match and shared her joy with her husband. One of the courtiers – second only to the regent – heard the words of the Queen.

"Your Majesty, you have introduced the young lady by your side as your bride," he said addressing Artus, "but is she of suitable birth to be our queen? I have heard an exchange between our guests, King Xavier and Queen Henrietta, that leads me to believe she is not their daughter. It is of the utmost importance that we know her parentage."

Since the day she had said 'yes' to Artus, Zita had been dreading this moment. Her dream was over; they would never accept her.

Artus held Zita closer. Nobody was going to take her away from him. He would resign his throne first. Queen Henrietta leapt to the defence of her foster daughter, "Whatever her background may be, she is worthy of any man, even a king."

"Would you accept a man of doubtful heritage as husband for your daughter, Ma'am?" the man asked. Queen Henrietta had to admit to herself she probably wouldn't and remembered her own reservations about Zita's descent when she first became Julietta's friend.

"Zita saved your king," Carl said angrily. "Queen Kalanta would have accepted her gladly for what she did for Artus. Why is her parentage so important now, when it wouldn't have mattered then?"

"Because times have changed, Sir," the courtier answered simply.

"Clearly not for the better," Carl muttered.

Then Orelia stepped in. "Her ancestry is as good as any here," she said. "Her full name is Felìcita du Montagne. She is the daughter of your regent Bernard du Montagne and his wife Lady Danella, who is my daughter. That makes Zita my granddaughter. She lived with Lady Danella's half-sister for a couple of years, during which time she was tutored by my sister Athera. After that she became the foster child of the King and Queen of Eburon; friend and sister to Princess Julietta. Do you still question her suitability?

"Of course not, Madam, but please understand, I must protect our country from slander. With this small matter cleared up I can only congratulate King Artus and his bride."

Orelia's words had left the people concerned stunned, totally speechless. Finally the truth sank in. Danella was the first to react.

"My daughter? Zita is Felìcita?"

"Mother? You … you're my mother?"

Zita and Danella fell into each other's arms. The wizard Quirinius, known to everyone as Bernard, embraced his wife and daughter together.

A weight had fallen off Artus' shoulders. He had been willing to fight for Zita, even to give up his kingdom but he was relieved he didn't have to.

Everybody wanted to congratulate, kiss, embrace, ask questions, hear answers, but they had to wait. The courtier who'd been worried about the unknown bride of his king, had gone out onto the balcony to announce the happy news to the public below.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he shouted out with a happy voice, "it is with immense pleasure that I can announce to you the engagement of our King, Artus I with the Lady Felìcita du Montagne, daughter of our beloved regent and his wife. I give you your King and Queen."

Artus and Zita were quickly ushered onto the balcony, followed by Zita's parents. More cheers rang across the square.

"Hooray for our King! Hooray for our Queen! Hooray for King Artus and Queen Felìcita! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!"

When they were finally allowed to leave the balcony they joined their friends and family for an impromptu festive meal that had been arranged for them.

Before the celebration could begin Lady Danella had an important question that needed answering first.

"Why did you leave father and me?" she asked Orelia. "Kalanta married King Ludovick. Couldn't you have married my father?"

"I wanted to, very much, but I had a duty to fulfil," Orelia answered. "When Kalanta left we were weakened and she had no female descendant to take her place. If I had left as well there would have been consequences, floods, avalanches, rockslides. So much pain and suffering for others that I could prevent."

There was bitterness in Danella's voice when she said, "And therefore father and I had to suffer. And then you took my child as well."

Orelia shook her head. "Don't think it was easy to leave you. I fled because I couldn't say goodbye. But it would have been selfish to stay with you and your father. And I didn't take Felìcita from you on a whim. Her friendship with Julietta was essential for the future of Peratha and Eburon."

"They could have become friends anyway. We visited Eburon regularly."

Orelia shook her head.

"Athera saw that future as well, and saw it fail. Due to Julietta's illness they would not have become such close friends. That is providing they ever met. Did you ever see the girls in your many visits to Eburon?"

"No, we didn't," Danella had to acknowledge.

"We worked to get this future where people celebrate the return of their king and Peratha and Eburon are safe from invasion." Orelia sighed. "I sincerely wish it could have been done without causing pain to my daughter and granddaughter, but that was impossible."

"If this was the result you planned for," Zita said quietly, "then it was worth all the pain."

Danella looked at her daughter, the girl she hadn't seen growing up and realised Felìcita was right. Their suffering had resulted in happiness for their people, and also for themselves in the end.

"I'm sorry, mother," Danella said to Orelia. "Quirinius didn't mean to hurt King Ludovick, Queen Kalanta and Artus; you didn't mean to hurt Quirinius, Felìcita, or me. Let's hope the hurting is over now. I just wish I had seen my daughter grow up," she added with a sigh.

"That wish will be granted," Athera said absentmindedly.

She was scolded by Orelia and her sisters for disclosing the future and apologised for the slipup. Zita thought she didn't look too upset about her indiscretion.

Of course there were many more questions asked about the curse, the garden, and the breaking of the curse. It was well past midnight before all questions had finally been answered to everyone's satisfaction.

Four months later the first of two royal weddings was celebrated. Within two weeks the second one took place. The friendship between Artus, Zita, Carl and Julietta continued. They worked hard together to make the life of their people free of worries.

They did have some time for themselves as well. Every year the two couples seemed to disappear from the earth for three weeks. It was their yearly holiday in the garden that had kept its magic for them.

Artus and Zita had several children. Their youngest daughter was named Kalanta, after her grandmother. Kalanta did not like life at the court. She loved to roam the forests and wildernesses of the country. When she was no longer a child but a young woman, she met the fairies and was given the chance to become one of them. She accepted and took the place of her grandmother in their midst and then …

but that is another story.

THE END

oooOOOooo

ooOOoo

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